A smart home system is like a " Mother"!

The effects of product metaphor on consumers' comprehension of really new products (RNPs)

Conference Paper (2017)
Author(s)

Cheng Peiyao (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

R. Mugge (TU Delft - Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior)

Cees de Bont (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Research Group
Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior
Copyright
© 2017 Cheng Peiyao, R. Mugge, Cees de Bont
More Info
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Publication Year
2017
Language
English
Copyright
© 2017 Cheng Peiyao, R. Mugge, Cees de Bont
Research Group
Responsible Marketing and Consumer Behavior
Pages (from-to)
1079-1094
ISBN (print)
978-1-912294-11-4
Reuse Rights

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Abstract

Really new products (RNPs) are often difficult to comprehend, which may hinder consumers’ adoption. It is generally believed that designers can stimulate consumers’ comprehension by embodying RNPs in the form of product metaphors. However, empirical evidence for this is lacking. This study empirically examines the effects of product metaphors on consumers’ comprehension of RNPs. The findings of an experiment (N= 114) demonstrated an interaction effect of the presence of a product metaphor and a textual clue that explains the product metaphor on consumers’ comprehension of RNPs. Specifically, embodying a RNP in the form of a product metaphor will confuse consumers and reduce comprehension, unless the product metaphor is also explained through a textual clue.