Purpose

This study aims to introduce the duration of uniqueness, an important dimension of unique products. It studies how choices between products with long versus short duration of uniqueness are influenced by the interaction between pressure and consumers’ need for uniqueness (NFU).

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a multi-method study approach. A pilot field-study tested the novelty and importance of the research by asking retail professionals to predict the choice of a hypothetical consumer. A retrospective study assessed the importance of duration of uniqueness in unique product choices, by asking consumers about a real and recent unique product purchase. Four additional experimental studies directly tested hypotheses by manipulating pressure and by measuring or manipulating uniqueness motivations.

Findings

The pilot field-study showed the novelty and relevance of this research for professionals. Study 1 revealed that, retrospectively, uniqueness duration was considered important for the choice of unique products, by high-NFU consumers under pressure. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that pressure increases the tendency of high-NFU, but not low-NFU, consumers to choose products with long over short uniqueness duration. Study 4 provided initial evidence for the process behind the effect. Study 5 showed that considerations of uniqueness duration when choosing mediated the effects.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the pilot field-study and retrospective study might be affected by recall bias or lay theories. The findings need to be replicated with other sources of pressure and uniqueness. This calls for further research.

Practical implications

Results are important for companies marketing unique products and they suggest that pressure-based marketing appeals can be used strategically to increase sales of products with long uniqueness duration but decrease sales of products with short uniqueness duration. Although the research provides these guidelines, managers should consider the ethical implications of pressure strategies.

Originality/value

This is the first attempt to empirically investigate the duration of uniqueness. Although extant research has examined choices between products with different degrees of uniqueness, this research studies choice of products with similar degrees of uniqueness, but different uniqueness duration. Thus, this research adds to the scarce literature studying the duration of symbolic benefits. Moreover, although pressure and NFU frequently co-exist in uniqueness consumption settings, this study is the first to study their joint effects.

中文翻译：

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消费者在具有不同独特性持续时间的产品之间的选择

目的

本研究旨在介绍独特性的持续时间，这是独特产品的一个重要维度。它研究了压力与消费者对独特性的需求 (NFU) 之间的相互作用如何影响具有长期和短期独特性的产品之间的选择。

设计/方法/方法

本研究采用多方法研究方法。一项试点实地研究通过要求零售专业人士预测假设消费者的选择来测试研究的新颖性和重要性。一项回顾性研究通过询问消费者真实和最近购买的独特产品来评估独特产品选择中独特性持续时间的重要性。另外四项实验研究通过操纵压力和测量或操纵独特性动机直接测试了假设。

发现

试点实地研究显示了这项研究对专业人士的新颖性和相关性。研究 1 显示，回顾过去，在压力下，高 NFU 消费者认为独特性持续时间对于选择独特产品很重要。研究 2 和 3 表明，压力会增加高 NFU 而不是低 NFU 的消费者选择独特性持续时间长而短的产品的趋势。研究 4 为该效应背后的过程提供了初步证据。研究 5 表明，在选择时对唯一性持续时间的考虑会调节效果。

研究限制/影响

试点实地研究和回顾性研究的结果可能会受到回忆偏见或非专业理论的影响。这些发现需要与其他压力和独特性来源一起复制。这需要进一步研究。

实际影响

结果对于营销独特产品的公司很重要，他们表明可以战略性地使用基于压力的营销呼吁来增加具有长独特性持续时间的产品的销售额，但减少具有短独特性持续时间的产品的销售额。尽管研究提供了这些指导方针，但管理者应该考虑压力策略的道德影响。

原创性/价值

这是对唯一性持续时间进行实证研究的第一次尝试。虽然现有研究已经检验了具有不同独特性程度的产品之间的选择，但本研究研究了具有相似独特性程度但不同独特性持续时间的产品的选择。因此，这项研究增加了研究象征性利益持续时间的稀缺文献。此外，尽管压力和 NFU 在独特性消费环境中经常共存，但本研究首次研究了它们的联合效应。