Consumer Decision-making: Feelings Versus Reasons

Do you follow your heart or rely on logical reasoning when you shop?  Marketers often encourage consumers to use either feelings or reasons when making consumption decisions, particularly in the design of advertisements.  Research has found, however, that the effectiveness of either strategy may depend on the consumer’s self-view, as well as the time frame of which the decision outcomes actualise.

Assistant Professor of Marketing Hannah Chang at the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, specialises in research on consumer behaviour, and has been involved in research projects that study the dynamics of how feelings and reasons play a part in the consumer decision-making process.

In this podcast, she shares her insights into this subject matter, and also discusses the implications and practical applications for individual consumers, and for companies targeting Asian consumers vis-à-vis consumers in the West.