時間距離對於消費者選擇贈品促銷方案之影響

Abstract

實務界時常運用贈品作為促銷工具以吸引消費者目光及增加購買意願，然而學術界對於不同贈品形式的效果並未有整合性的結論，而『時間解釋理論』雖指出消費者在距離購買時點不同的時間距離下，考量的因素將有所不同，但尚未將研究拓展至贈品身上。因此，本研究結合此兩派理論，欲探討不同時間距離是否會影響消費者對於贈品理想性與實行性的衡量，因而反映在不同的贈品選擇上，並且在不同的贈品形式分類下探討時間距離的效果。 為了驗證假設，本研究透過二個不同贈品形式(直接贈品及延遲贈品、免費贈品及加價購贈品)的實驗，以單因子(時間距離)實驗設計方式，讓受測者針對二種贈品促銷方案(高理想性搭配低實行性、及低理想性搭配高實行性)進行選擇(Choice)及評估(Evaluation)之衡量，並經由實體及網路方式將問卷發放給以台灣大學為主的大學生，再藉由卡方分析與成對樣本t檢定對假設進行驗證。在檢驗本研究之假設後，歸納出以下結論： 一、當消費者面臨等價的直接贈品及延遲贈品促銷方案時，處於時間距離較遠之消費者會偏好選擇理想性較高、但實行性較低的延遲贈品方案，同時也會給予此方案較高的評價；而處於時間距離較近的消費者則會偏好選擇理想性較低、但實行性較高的直接贈品方案，惟對於二方案的評價並無差異。 二、當消費者面對非等價的免費贈品及加價購贈品促銷方案時，無論是否告知消費者其對於贈品存在明確需求，時間距離均不會影響消費者對於贈品促銷方案的選擇及評價。

Businesses often use premiums as promotion tools to draw consumers' attention and increase their purchase intention. However, academic research has not come to a definitive conclusion about the effects of different premium types. 'Temporal Construal Theory' points out temporal distance changes people's response to future events, but the theory has not been applied to the preference of premiums. Combining these two theories, this study investigates if temporal distance influences consumers' assessment of the desirability and feasibility of premiums, which in turn influences the choices of premiums. Also, this study tries to look into the effect of temporal distance in different premium types. This study adopts one-factor (temporal distance) experimental design in two studies with different premium types. Study 1 uses direct premium and delayed premium, while study 2 uses free premium and self-liquidating. 495 undergraduates participated in either paper-and-pen or web experiments. They indicate their preferences toward two premium promotions (high desirability combined with low feasibility/low desirability combined with high feasibility) in terms of choice and evaluation. Data were analyzed by chi-square analysis and paired t-test, and the results are as follows: 1.When facing equally priced direct premium and delayed premium promotions, consumers in the distant future prefer to choose delayed premium promotion with high desirability and low feasibility and give it better evaluation at the same time. As for consumers in the near future, they prefer to choose direct premium promotion with low desirability and high feasibility, but there is no difference in their evaluation for the two promotions. 2.When consumers face not-equally-priced free premium and self-liquidating promotions, temporal distance does not influence their choice and evaluation for promotions no matter whether they are told that they have need for the premiums or not.