Marketplace attributions and consumer evaluations of discount claims

Abstract

Abstract Two studies were conducted in which respondents were exposed to test advertisements in which the amount of savings implied by a reference price discount claim was manipulated. Respondents' attributions concerning the advertiser's motives for making the reference price discount claim were measured, along with dependent variables that assessed the respondents' evaluations of the price offer. Results across both studies indicated that the attributions about the advertiser's motives for the price discount offer had a significant effect on consumers' evaluations of the offer. Furthermore, across both studies, a person‐stimulus‐circumstance taxonomy appeared consistent with the structure of the attributions that respondents made when presented with reference price claims.