The effect of smart and connected products on consumer brand choice concentration

摘要

With the technological development of the Internet of Things (IoT), companies are increasingly launching smart and connected products. While prior research has primarily focused on IoT's technical features and industrial applications, this research explores consumer brand choices for smart and connected products in four studies. A pilot study found that consumers believe that smart and connected products from the same brand perform better than those from different brands in terms of compatibility. Study 1 showed that consumers tend to purchase multiple devices from the same brand (vs. different brands) and thus display higher brand concentration when purchasing smart and connected products compared with traditional products. Further studies confirmed that such brand choice concentration in purchasing smart and connected products can be attenuated among consumers who are familiar with this product category (Study 2) or who are convinced that a connecting hub can smooth compatibility issues across different appliances (Study 3).