earticle

영어

Front-loaded point program has been introduced by an credit card company in Korea in 2003. Front-loaded point program is different from ordinary point program which is called rear-loaded point program, in that incentives are provided right after consumers decide to sign up for the program. An important aspect of front-loaded point program is that consumers are provided with immediate benefits or points by a company only if they promise to pay back the points within certain period of time through purchasing products or services from that company. Prior researches focus on rear-loaded point program, that is a traditional type of point program to give consumers incentives upon their accumulated repeat purchases. The current research focuses on front-loaded point program, which has not been a topic of debate since it was newly introduced in industries. The authors examine the factors improving the effectiveness of front-loaded point program which gives customers reward in advance. Specifically, the authors examine the effects of mental simulation on the attitude and behavior relating to front-loaded point program on the basis of mental simulation theory and psychological reactance theory. Based on literature review, the authors propose hypotheses as follows. First hypothesis is that consumers are more likely to join front-loaded program and to show favorable attitude toward front-loaded program, when consumers focus on outcome simulation (vs. process simulation). Second hypothesis is that psychological reactance will mediate the effect of mental simulation on attitude and intention to join front-loaded point program. On the other hand, We demonstrate that mental simulation has an effect on the attitude and intention to join front-loaded point program, product type will moderate the effect of the mental simulation (H3). Specifically, Consumers who focus on process simulation are more likely to join front-loaded point program and to show positive attitude toward front-loaded program when they purchase hedonic/expressional products rather than utilitarian/functional products (H3-1). Consumers who focus on outcome simulation are more likely to join front-loaded program and to show favorable attitude toward front-loaded program when they purchase utilitarian/functional products rather than hedonic/expressional products (H3-2). The authors conducted two studies to verify hypotheses. Using the first study, the authors reveal that process simulation influences the degree of individuals’ psychological reactance, which results in unfavorable attitude toward front-loaded point program. Specifically, when consumers are involved with process simulation rather than outcome simulation, they are more likely to feel psychological reactance, and this leads to unfavorable attitude and behavior toward front-loaded program. Also, using the second study, the authors examine the moderating roles of product types consumers want to purchase with front-loaded points. As a result, when consumers are involved in process simulation, they prefer to purchase hedonic/expressional products with front-loaded points than utilitarian/functional products; while when consumers are involved in outcome simulation, they prefer to purchase utilitarian/functional products with front-loaded points than hedonic/expressional products. The current research provides academical and practical contributions. First, the current research expands the scope of research area relating to customer reward programs. The current research introduces front-loaded point program as a new topic of debate in academic area. Second, the current research gives marketing practitioners practical guidelines on how to implement front-loaded point program to improve the effectiveness of this program. To persuade consumers to join the program, marketers should promote consumers to focus on outcome simulation rather than process simulation with diverse marketing tactics. Also, marketers are more likely to persuade consumers to join the program when they provide consumers with different product type on the basis of mental simulation consumers focus on.

한국어

본 연구에서는 새롭게 대두된 고객보상 프로그램의 한 유형으로 선포인트 고객보상 프로그램에 초점을 맞추었다. 본 연구는 고객보상을 미리 지급하는 형태인 선포인트 프로그램이 효과적으로 실행되기 위해서, 어떠한 요인이 고려되어야 하는지를 검증하고자 한다. 구체적으로, 심적 시뮬레이션과 심리적 반발이론이라는 이론적 근거를 바탕으로 심적 시뮬레이션의 종류가 소비자 태도 및 이용의도에 영향을 미칠 수 있음을 규명하고자 한다. 실험 1의 결과, 과정 시뮬레이션에 초점을 맞춘 소비자들은 결과 시뮬레이션에 초점을 맞춘 소비자들보다 심리적 반발감을 느끼게 되어, 선포인트 프로그램에 대해 비호의적인 태도를 가질 뿐 아니라 이용의도 또한 낮았다. 또한 심적 시뮬레이션 유형의 차이가 선포인트 프로그램에 대한 태도 및 이용의도에 미치는 효과를 조절하는 요인으로 제품유형을 제시하였다. 실험 2를 통한 조절효과 검증 결과, 과정 시뮬레이션에 초점을 맞춘 소비자들은 선포인트 프로그램을 통해 쾌락적/표현적 제품을 구입하는 경우가 실용적/기능적 제품을 구입하는 경우보다 선포인트프로그램에 대한 태도 및 이용의도가 높았다. 반면, 결과 시뮬레이션에 초점을 맞춘 소비자들은 선포인트 프로그램을 통해 실용적/기능적 제품을 구입하는 경우가 쾌락적/표현적 제품을 구입하는 경우보다 선포인트 프로그램에 대한 태도가 호의적이었다. 이러한 결과는 과정 시뮬레이션에 초점을 맞춘 소비자들은 노력에 대한 보상을 받기 위해 실용적/기능적 제품보다 쾌락적/표현적 제품을 선호하는 반면, 결과 시뮬레이션에 초점을 맞춘 소비자들은 구입에 대한 합리화를 위해 쾌락적/표현적 제품보다 실용적/ 기능적 제품을 선호하는 것으로 유추된다. 본 연구는 새롭게 대두된 선포인트 프로그램을 연구함으로써 고객보상 프로그램의 연구의 범위를 확장하였다. 또한 마케팅 실무자에게 선포인트 프로그램이 어떻게 실행되어야 더욱 효과적일 수 있을 것인가에 대한 실무적 시사점을 제공하였다