Together or alone on the prosocial path amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: the partitioning effect in experiential consumption

Purpose: During these unprecedented times, acts of charity are deemed essential to help individuals in need and support the social safety net. Given the importance of prosocial behavior for survival through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the authors investigate the effects of partitioning experiential consumption and self-construal on consumer responses. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the literature on partitioning and self-construal, the findings across three experimental studies provide novel insights into the interplay between partitioning and self-construal, and offer psychological processes on prosocial and behavioral intention. Findings: Individuals with predominantly independent (vs. interdependent) self-construals and those primed with independent (vs. interdependent) self-construals showed higher prosocial intention when the experiential product ad was in an aggregated (vs. partitioned) format. The fit between the type of format and self-construal leads to the high control coping mechanism, and ultimately prosocial intention. Originality/value: Partitioning experiential consumption has not been directly examined using self-construal, providing novel insights into consumer reactions during the pandemic. This paper provides practical implications to practitioners and researchers to better understand and adapt to shifting digital consumption patterns. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.

COVID-19 Uncertainty and Temporal Framing in Advertising for Online Experiential Consumption

During the period of uncertainty and lack of control caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated how consumers evaluate online experiences using messages framed in different temporal perspectives. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, companies have been offering their experiential services online either in single long sessions (i.e., proximal framed message) or multiple short sessions over time (i.e., distal framed message). We found significant two-way interactions between temporal frames and levels of uncertainty, such that consumers with high (vs. low) levels of uncertainty respond more favorably when a distal (vs. proximal) framed message is applied. The path from fluency to high-control coping explained the interaction effect between temporal framing and levels of uncertainty on behavioral outcomes toward experience goods. © Copyright © 2021, American Academy of Advertising.