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What is it?
This paper explores the moral implications of different types of brand-elicited self-comparisons in marketing.
It focuses on how consumers perceive the morality of brands that encourage comparisons to other people (social comparisons, SC) versus comparisons to one's own past (temporal comparisons, TC).
The main argument is that consumers hold a lay belief that temporal comparisons are morally superior to social comparisons, particularly when those comparisons are downward (comparing to worse-off standards).
Major findings:
Temporal comparisons are seen as more moral: Across various domains, participants rated comparing oneself to one's own past (TC) as more moral than comparing oneself to others (SC). This suggests a general belief in the virtue of self-improvement over status-seeking.
Social comparison triggers negative moral judgments of brands: When brands encouraged downward social comparisons (e.g., "be the envy of your neighbors"), consumers perceived them as less moral, leading to lower brand evaluations and purchase intentions.
Status inferences mediate the effect: The negative impact of social comparison on brand morality was mediated by consumers' perception that the brand was promoting status-seeking behavior.
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What do I need to know:
The type of comparison matters: Brands should carefully consider the moral implications of the self-comparisons they elicit, as they can influence consumer perceptions of brand morality.
Temporal comparisons are a safer bet: Encouraging consumers to compare themselves to their past selves and focus on self-improvement is less likely to trigger negative moral judgments.
Social comparison can be problematic: Evoking downward social comparisons can make brands seem less ethical and undermine consumer trust.
Status motives influence moral judgments: Consumers with different levels of status motivation will respond differently to brand-elicited comparisons.
Source:
https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jcpy.1399