Member Article

Indulging without good reason can make you happier

New research has found that some consumers are happier after an indulgent purchase if there is no good reason for it.

A team of marketing academics led by Francine Espinoza Petersen from ESMT Berlin business school conducted a number of studies examining the emotional responses and subsequent happiness levels of consumers.

They found that while previous research and lay theory suggest that having a reason to indulge will make for a happier customer, consumers with ‘low self-control’ are actually happier when they have no reason to indulge at all.

In one study, a group of 175 students completed an online study designed to measure the predicted effect on happiness and the satisfaction with the purchase as a consequence of happiness.

The results showed that consumers with high levels of self-control were happier after indulging with a reason for doing so, whilst those identified as ‘low self-control’ individuals were happier after indulging without reason. Consumers with high levels of self-control tend to be more rational and disciplined, therefore valuing reasoned-indulgences. Consumers with low self-control, on the other hand, tend to be more relaxed and easy going, thus enjoying spontaneous indulgences.

“Our findings send a few clear messages to companies. Firstly, marketers should be aiming to communicate better based on personality types. If you are pushing a typical ‘because you are worth it’ message or something like Chrysler’s ‘luxury feels better earned’ tagline you may be alienating a sizeable portion of your potential consumer base who don’t identify with that message. If a brand is more likely to have low self-control, or frivolous, customers, promoting spontaneous indulgence, as with Lexus recent ‘dare to be spontaneous’ campaign, may be a more effective strategy.”

“In addition to this, because the happiness post-purchase influences the ongoing satisfaction of that purchase, targeting the consumer message more accurately could actually result in lower levels of consumer returns and an increase in positive word-of-mouth promotion.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by ESMT Berlin .