An eye tracking study of minimally branded products: hedonism and branding as predictors of purchase intentions
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to test the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of product type (utilitarian vs hedonic) and the attentional processes that underlie decision-making among minimally branded products.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses eye-tracking measures (i.e. total fixation duration) and data collected through an online survey.
Findings
The study shows that consumers spend more time looking at hedonic (vs utilitarian) and branded (vs unbranded) products, which influences perceptions of quality.
Practical implications
The findings of this research provide guidelines for marketing minimally branded products.
Originality/value
The authors showed that the product type influences the time consumers spend looking at an item. Previous findings about effects of branding are extended to an understudied product category (i.e. live potted plants).
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the USDA Federal State Marketing Improvement Program for their generous funding of this study. Researcher salary for this project was supported by the USDA National Food and Agriculture, Hatch Project Number MICL 02085 and by Michigan State University AgBioResearch. The authors report no conflict of interests.
Citation
Mundel, J., Huddleston, P., Behe, B., Sage, L. and Latona, C. (2018), "An eye tracking study of minimally branded products: hedonism and branding as predictors of purchase intentions", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 27 No. 2, pp. 146-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-07-2016-1282
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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