The Effect Of Time Cues On Consumption Intention Of Self-Improvement Products

Time is ubiquitous and is one of the most common and important concepts in consumers’ life.Time itself is abstract and intangible,but it can be presented through the pictures,words and other clues related to time.They are widely used in marketing practices,especially for self-improvement products.However,no research has directly explored the effect of time cues on the consumption intention of self-improvement products.Based on the theoretical perspective that time plays an important role in goal pursuit,this paper explores the influence of time cues on the consumption intention of self-improvement products through three empirical studies.Study 1 explored the main effect of time cues on the consumption intention of self-improvement products.The results show that for self-improvement products,time cues has a positive impact on consumption intention.Study 2 further examined the mediating role of locomotion propensity.The experimental results show that for self-improvement products,the existence of time cues can promote the individual’s locomotion,so as to improve the consumption intention.Study 3 explored the moderating role of expected difficulty in the above influencing process.The results show that for self-improvement products,when people expect the difficulty of achieving self-improvement goals through consuming products is low,time cues have a positive impact on consumption intention.However,when the expectation difficulty is high,consumers’ locomotion propensity will be weakened,thus reducing their consumption intention.In conclusion,for self-improvement products,time cues have a positive impact on consumption intention.Locomotion propensity plays a mediating role.The boundary condition of this effect is that it is relatively easy for consumers to realize their self-improvement goals.Based on the perspective that time influence goal pursuit,this research focuses on the influence of time cues on the consumption intention of self-improvement products,which enriches the relevant studies on time priming,self-regulation theory and self-improvement consumption,and has important implications for enterprises and consumers.