Mann, Manveer and Yuping Liu-Thompkins (2019), “Shopping Online? The Role of Imagination and Gender,” European Journal of Marketing, 53 (12), 2604-2628. [Download Full-Text PDF]
Abstract: This study examines gender differences in the impact of imagining product use on purchase decisions. We argue that asking consumers to imagine in an online shopping context can influence purchase intention differently depending on gender. The first two studies show that while an imagination tactic has positive or no effect among female consumers, a generic imagination request lowers male consumers’ purchase intention. Focusing on potential ways of alleviating this negative effect, Study 3 shows that for males without prior brand ownership experience, imagining product use in a less typical context can increase purchase intention. Our findings warn against the blind use of imagination tactics. Instead, retailers need to customize imagination tactics based on gender, previous brand experience, and product usage context.