The Boundary of the Effects of Consumer Innovativeness in New Product Evaluation: the Role of Situational Strength

This study examines the boundary of the positive effect of consumer innovativeness on new product evaluations by considering branding strategies and levels of perceived fit. Based on the theory of situational strength, this study demonstrates that branding strategies and levels of fit chosen by brand managers can emit situational cues to consumers, make consumers go through a cognitive process, and construct a situational strength in consumers’ minds. Stronger situations attenuate the effect of consumer innovativeness on new product evaluations than weak situations. A mixed experimental design was used to validate the hypotheses.

Citation:

Timmy H. Tseng, Aihwa Chang, and Yung-Shen Wang (2011) ,"The Boundary of the Effects of Consumer Innovativeness in New Product Evaluation: the Role of Situational Strength", in AP - Asia-Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Zhihong Yi, Jing Jian Xiao, and June Cotte and Linda Price, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 139-141.