VISCERAL FACTORS AS MEDIATORS OF THE EFFECT OF AMBIENT OLFACTORY SENSATION ON PURCHASE INTENTIONS

摘要

Most of the marketing research on the influence of marketplace ambient scent has focused on cognitive evaluations of consumer behavior, but much less is known about the role of visceral motivational states (Loewenstein 1996). Olfactory stimuli can activate a sudden urge to eat or drink, and these highly charged appetitive desires may often seem uncontrollable and overwhelming (Belk, Ger and Askegaard 2000; Metcalfe and Mischel 1999; Loewenstein 1996). This phenomenon is described by Lowenstein (1996) as the operation of "visceral factors" associated with motivational drive states such as hunger, craving and intense appetitive desire (Lowenstein and O'Donoghue 2007). This study investigates the extent to which visceral factors mediate the influence ambient olfactory cues on purchase intentions. Ambient olfactory stimuli (like the smell of food) can stimulate visceral responses such as taste anticipation (Alba and Williams 2012; O'Doherty et al. 2002), which in turn may play a crucial role in the enhancement of expected pleasure and taste enjoyment (Bagozzi 1992; Belk, Ger and Askegaard 2003; HirschmanandHolbrook 1982; Mellersetal. 1999; Nowlis, Mandel and McCabe 2004). This paper contributes to the literature by showing that the influence of olfactory stimuli on purchase intentions may not be direct, but rather through a series of intervening processes associated with the pursuit of consumption pleasure (Alba and Williams 2012). In this context, we examine the role of visceral motivational drive states that tend to activate the 'hot' affective system (Loewenstein and O'Donoghue 2007; Metcalfe and Mischel 1999). The objective is therefore to investigate how food aroma directly stimulates taste anticipation (O'Doherty et al. 2002), a visceral response that plays a crucial role in triggering other responses like subjective expected pleasure (Mellers et al. 1999), and taste enjoyment (Elder and Krishna 2010; Nowlis et al. 2004). This process is tested in a tightly controlled experiment where consumers are exposed to the aroma of an enticing snack food (Geyskens et al. 2008).