IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ijrema/v34y2017i2p430-441.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The allure of the hidden: How product unveiling confers value

Author

Listed:
  • Patrick, Vanessa M.
  • Atefi, Yashar
  • Hagtvedt, Henrik

Abstract

Different package designs call for different ways of revealing the product. In this research, we demonstrate that packaging that calls for unveiling—the removal of the cover of a concealed, stationary object—enhances the perceived value of the product compared to other forms of product revelation. Drawing on theories of grounded associations, shared meaning, and contagion, we theorize that the act of unveiling is associated with revealing a protected and thus pristine object, which is consequently perceived to be valuable. We begin the empirical investigation by exploring consumer associations with product unveiling across American and South Korean consumers (pilot study 1). We then demonstrate that the unveiling effect arises with both imagined (pilot study 2) and real objects and is mediated by beliefs about the pristine condition of the object (studies 1–3). We conclude with a discussion of the theoretical contributions, implications for managers, and directions for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick, Vanessa M. & Atefi, Yashar & Hagtvedt, Henrik, 2017. "The allure of the hidden: How product unveiling confers value," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 430-441.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:34:y:2017:i:2:p:430-441
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.08.009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167811615300288
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.08.009?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fabrizio Di Muro & Theodore J. Noseworthy, 2013. "Money Isn't Everything, but It Helps If It Doesn't Look Used: How the Physical Appearance of Money Influences Spending," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 39(6), pages 1330-1342.
    2. Huyghe, Elke & Van Kerckhove, Anneleen, 2013. "Can fat taxes and package size restrictions stimulate healthy food choices?," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 421-423.
    3. E. Huyghe & A. Van Kerckhove, 2013. "Can Fat Taxes and Package Size Restrictions Stimulate Healthy Food Choices?," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 13/847, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    4. Dick, Alan & Chakravarti, Dipankar & Biehal, Gabriel, 1990. "Memory-Based Inferences during Consumer Choice," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(1), pages 82-93, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Logkizidou, Maria & Bottomley, Paul & Angell, Rob & Evanschitzky, Heiner, 2019. "Why Museological Merchandise Displays Enhance Luxury Product Evaluations: An Extended Art Infusion Effect," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 67-82.
    2. Tami Kim & Lalin Anik & Luca Cian, 2021. "Feedback as a two-way street: when and why rating consumers fails," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 351-362, December.
    3. Courtney Szocs & Sara Williamson & Adam Mills, 2022. "Contained: why it’s better to display some products without a package," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 131-146, January.
    4. Fedorenko, Ivan & Berthon, Pierre & Edelman, Linda, 2023. "Top secret: Integrating 20 years of research on secrecy," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    5. Celhay, Franck & Cheng, Peiyao & Masson, Josselin & Li, Wenhua, 2020. "Package graphic design and communication across cultures: An investigation of Chinese consumers' interpretation of imported wine labels," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 108-128.
    6. Lu, Irene R.R. & Kwan, Ernest, 2023. "An investigation of two remedial measures for retailers to address the impact of disease threat on sustainable consumption: A moderated moderated mediation model," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Metin Çakır, 2022. "Retail pass‐through of package downsizing," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(2), pages 259-278, April.
    2. Parreño-Selva, Josefa & Mas-Ruiz, Francisco J. & Ruiz-Conde, Enar, 2017. "The effects of price promotion on relative virtue and vice food products," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 20(5).
    3. Lynch, John G. & Bradlow, Eric T. & Huber, Joel C. & Lehmann, Donald R., 2015. "Reflections on the replication corner: In praise of conceptual replications," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 333-342.
    4. Logkizidou, Maria & Bottomley, Paul & Angell, Rob & Evanschitzky, Heiner, 2019. "Why Museological Merchandise Displays Enhance Luxury Product Evaluations: An Extended Art Infusion Effect," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(1), pages 67-82.
    5. Amar Cheema & Dipankar Chakravarti & Atanu R. Sinha, 2012. "Bidding Behavior in Descending and Ascending Auctions," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(5), pages 779-800, September.
    6. R. V. ShabbirHusain, 2022. "Green offering: more the centrality, greater the scepticism," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 19(4), pages 819-834, December.
    7. Davies, Antony & Cline, Thomas W., 2005. "A consumer behavior approach to modeling monopolistic competition," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 797-826, December.
    8. Kukar-Kinney, Monika & Xia, Lan, 2017. "The effectiveness of number of deals purchased in influencing consumers' response to daily deal promotions: A cue utilization approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 189-197.
    9. Ujwal Kayande & John H. Roberts & Gary L. Lilien & Duncan K. H. Fong, 2007. "Mapping the Bounds of Incoherence: How Far Can You Go and How Does It Affect Your Brand?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(4), pages 504-513, 07-08.
    10. Moon, Junyean & Tikoo, Surinder, 1997. "Consumer Use of Available Information for Making Inferences about Missing Information," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 135-146, June.
    11. Ioannis Rizomyliotis & Athanasios Poulis & Kleopatra Konstantoulaki & Apostolos Giovanis, 2021. "Sustaining brand loyalty: The moderating role of green consumption values," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3025-3039, November.
    12. Roest, Henk & Rindfleisch, Aric, 2010. "The influence of quality cues and typicality cues on restaurant purchase intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 10-18.
    13. Siv Skard & Sveinung Jørgensen & Lars Jacob Tynes Pedersen, 2021. "When is Sustainability a Liability, and When Is It an Asset? Quality Inferences for Core and Peripheral Attributes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 109-132, September.
    14. Thomas Kramer & Caglar Irmak & Lauren Block & Veronika Ilyuk, 2012. "The effect of a no-pain, no-gain lay theory on product efficacy perceptions," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 517-529, September.
    15. Ringler, Christine & Sirianni, Nancy J. & Christenson, Brett, 2021. "The Power of Consequential Product Sounds," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 288-300.
    16. Kirmani, Amna & Lee, Michelle P. & Yoon, Carolyn, 2004. "Procedural priming effects on spontaneous inference formation," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 859-875, December.
    17. Heiman, Amir, 2015. "Positioning GM Food Product : Benefits, risk and loss aversion considerations," GMCC-15: Seventh GMCC, November 17-20, 2015, Amsterdam, the Netherlands 211475, International Conference on Coexistence between Genetically Modified (GM) and non-GM based Agricultural Supply Chains (GMCC).
    18. Olga Untilov & Stéphane Ganassali, 2020. "Product‐harm science communication: The halo effect and its moderators," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(3), pages 1002-1027, September.
    19. Nicole Koschate-Fischer & Katharina Wüllner, 2017. "New developments in behavioral pricing research," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 87(6), pages 809-875, August.
    20. Peng Zou & Jingwen Liu, 2019. "How nutrition information influences online food sales," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1132-1150, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:34:y:2017:i:2:p:430-441. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-research-in-marketing/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.