Mapping Out Marketing

ENTRY #45     How can you use negative associations to motivate consumers?

Katherine White

Professor, Marketing and Behavioral Science, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia

Marketers often use the notion of “reference groups” to create positive associations with the products they wish to promote. The term reference group refers to those groups or group members who can influence consumers’ attitudes and behaviors. While marketers commonly link the brand to reference groups that are inclusive or aspirational in nature (i.e., membership and aspirational reference groups, respectively), we show that the motivation to avoid ...