earticle

영어

Many consumer researchers have asserted that consumers have the internal reference price compared with market price. In other words, Consumers differently perceive product price by internal reference price. Whereas consumer perception theories postulate several kinds of reference price, this study focused on the highest acceptable price (upper price threshold) and the lowest acceptable price (lower price threshold) as the conceptualization of reference prices. Prior studies on reference price found out determinant factors of influencing on reference price. Because consumer knowledge and involvement are very important consumer’s characteristic variables, this study examined the effect of consumer’s prior knowledge and involvement on acceptable price range and reservation price as the reference price. This study investigate the effect of consumer’s characteristics on acceptable price range that consumer evaluate market price. That is, this study investigate interaction effect of consumer’s knowledge and involvement on acceptable price range and reservation price (upper acceptable price). In this study, blue jean and perfume were selected for experiment object product in the pretest. Because These products were found to be the products familiar with students. Convenience sampling method was used for this study. The result of 122 respondents used in the final analysis. The ANOVA was used to analyze 2 (high consumer knowledge vs. low consumer knowledge) X 2(high involvement vs. low involvement) relationship. The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, significant statistical differences did not appeared in consumer’s acceptable price range by level of consumer knowledge. Second, significant statistical differences appeared in consumer’s acceptable price range by level of involvement. Consumer’s acceptable price range of high involved consumer was tended to have wilder acceptable price range than that of low involved consumer. In other word, this confirmed that the level of involvement has a positive relationship with consumer’s acceptable price range. Third, significant statistical differences appeared in consumer’s acceptable price range by level of consumer knowledge and level of involvement. In instances of high involvement, consumers with comparatively more prior knowledge tended to have much narrower acceptable price range than those with a lesser degree of prior knowledge. Therefore, in a high involvement situation, prior knowledge can be seen to act as the motivational factor. Forth, significant statistical differences appeared in consumer’s reservation price by level of consumer knowledge and level of involvement. In instances of high involvement, consumers with comparatively more knowledge tended to have high reservation price than those with a lesser consumer knowledge. Based on these findings, this study suggest some marketing strategy guides to marketing managers for formulating pricing strategies and advertising strategies and theoretical implication and future direction are discussed.

한국어

제품의 가격결정은 제품원가나 경쟁기업의 가격보다 소비자의 가격지각이 더 중요한 역할을 할 때가 많다. 그런데, 소비자의 가격지각은 소비자가 제품이나 브랜드에 대하여 느끼는 기준가격으로서 준거가격에 따라 다르다. 본 연구는 소비자의 시장가격을 평가하기 위한 기준가격인 준거가격을 범위이론과 범위-범위 빈도이론에서 제시하는 수용가격범위로 측정하고 이에 영향을 미치는 소비자의 특성으로서 소비자지식과 관여도의 상호작용 효과에 대해 연구하였다. 또한 명품 브랜드와 같이 고가 제품이 가격지각에 미치는 영향을 감안하여 유보가격의 변화에 대해서도 살펴보았다. 즉, 본 연구는 소비자의 내적 특성인 소비자지식 및 관여도 수준이 준거가격으로서 수용가격범위와 유보가격에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지 파악하는 연구이다. 연구결과 소비자지식 수준이 증가함에 따라 수용가격범위의 차이는 나타나지 않았다. 반면에 관여도 수준이 높아짐에 따라 수용가격범위는 넓어지는 것으로 나타났다. 특히, 관여수준이 높아질수록 소비자지식이 높은 소비자는 소비자지식이 낮은 소비자보다 수용가격범위가 더욱 좁아지는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 관여수준이 높아질수록 소비자지식이 많은 소비자보다 소비자지식이 적은 소비자의 유보가격이 상승하였다. 이러한 연구결과를 토대로 실무적이고 이론적인 시사점과 향후 연구방향에 대해 논의하였다.