The effects of impression management on consumers’ coupon redemption and underlying mechanisms.

What is it about?

This research examines the effects of impression management on consumers’ coupon redemption and suggests different underlying mechanisms with respect to cultural self-construal. Four studies show that, when primed with impression management, individualistic (vs. collectivistic) consumers are more likely to redeem coupons, because individualists believe that coupon redemption creates the impression of being smart. On the other hand, collectivistic consumers are less likely to redeem coupons when coupon usage is visible to others, because they believe that coupon redemption gives the impression of being cheap.

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Why is it important?

This article offers new insights on coupon redemption and impression management, with particular relevance to cultural self-construal. The current article makes it clear that coupon redemption behavior is affected by impression management motivation. When an impression management goal is activated, promotion-focused individualists pursue positive feelings about themselves by controlling their self-perceptions, thus leading to greater coupon redemption, whereas prevention-focused collectivists attempt to avoid the cheap impression, thus leading to lower coupon redemption.

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