The Influence of Consumer Distractions on the Effectiveness of Food-Sampling Programs
Published 5/1/2005
Author: Stephen M. Nowlis and Baba Shiv
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Executive Summary
Sampling programs are a significant element of the promotions mix, particularly in the food category. In this research, the authors find that the effectiveness of such programs can be influenced by an important factor, namely, the degree to which consumers are distracted while sampling the product. In particular, the authors find that distraction actually increases subsequent choice of the sampled food, a finding that is contrary to what industry experts predict. The authors propose a dual-process model of somatosensory experiences to account for the findings. In line with this model, the findings suggest that the ultimate pleasure arising from the taste of a food sample depends on two components, an informational component and an affective component. Furthermore, the findings suggest that distraction affects subsequent choice of the sampled item by increasing (decreasing) the impact of the affective component (informational component) on subsequent choice.
Sampling has many benefits, including the ability to change a product’s image, generate word of mouth, or introduce a new product. Although sampling can be an effective marketing tool, it is also a costly promotion, so marketers must effectively use sampling programs. As the results show, distracting consumers who are trying a pleasant food item, such as chocolate, actually leads to a greater likelihood of choosing the sampled item. This suggests that marketers should encourage some type of cognitive distraction during taste tests for products with pleasant characteristics (however, care must be taken so the tactic that is used to distract consumers is not annoying). This could be done by asking the consumer to answer some simple questions while trying the product, by showing the consumer information about the inherent characteristics of the product, or by other means. Indeed, some sampling tables at grocery stores are run such that consumers are distracted with other information while tasting, whereas other sampling tables are run such that the consumer pays attention to the tasting experience.
Biography
Stephen M. Nowlis received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and his MBA and doctoral degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He is AT&T Research Professor of Marketing in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. His research focuses on consumer choice, consumption, and brand strategies. His articles have been published in Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Marketing Letters, and Annual Review of Psychology. He serves on the editorial review boards of Journal of Marketing Research and Marketing Letters and is an associate editor at Journal of Consumer Research. He is the winner of the 2001 William F. O’Dell Award, was a finalist for the 2002 William F. O’Dell Award, and is the winner of the 2001 Early Career Contribution Award from the Society for Consumer Psychology.
Baba Shiv received his doctoral degree from Duke University. He is Associate Professor and Henry B. Tippie Fellow in the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa. He will be joining the marketing department at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, as an associate professor on June 1, 2005. The broad thrust of his research is on “mindless” (i.e., very low-involvement) decision making. His current work focuses on the role of affect in decision making, the neurophysiological bases of emotions, and nonconscious mental processes. His articles have been published or are scheduled to be published in Marketing Letters, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, and Psychological Science. He serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Consumer Research. He was invited to the first Marketing Science Institute Young Scholar program in 2001 (invitation extended to scholars identified as the future leaders of the next generation of marketing academics). He was named “Outstanding Faculty” in the Business Week Guide to the Best Business Schools (6th, 7th, and 8th eds.) and was voted by the Tippie MBA students as the best teacher of the year for six consecutive years from 1999 to 2004.
J Marketing Research, Volume 42, Number 2, May 2005
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