A benefit congruency framework of sales promotion effectiveness
Abstract
Are monetary savings the only explanation for consumer response to a sales promotion? If not, how do the different consumer benefits of a sales promotion influence its effectiveness? To address the first question, this research builds a framework of the multiple consumer benefits of a sales promotion. Through a series of measurement studies, the authors find that monetary and nonmonetary promotions provide consumers with different levels of three hedonic benefits (opportunities for value expression, entertainment, and exploration) and three utilitarian benefits (savings, higher product quality, and improved shopping convenience). To address the second question, the authors develop a benefit congruency framework, which argues that a sales promotion's effectiveness is determined by the utilitarian or hedonic nature of the benefits it delivers and the congruence these benefits have with the promoted product. Among other results, two choice experiments show that, as predicted for high-equity brands, monetary promotions are more effective for utilitarian products than for hedonic products. The authors then discuss the implications of the multibenefit and the benefit congruency frameworks for understanding consumer responses to sales promotions, reexamining the value of everyday-low-price policies, and designing more effective sales promotions.
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According to the benefit congruency framework (BCF), consumers prefer utilitarian (hedonic) promotions when the promoted products are utilitarian (hedonic).
“According to the benefit congruency framework (BCF), consumers prefer utilitarian (hedonic) promotions when the promoted products are utilitarian (hedonic; Chandon et al., 2000).”
From Reward Design for Customer Referral Programs: Reward–Product Congruence Effect and Gender Difference (2021) · cites this paper as Chandon et al., 2000
Products and promotions generally incorporate both utilitarian and hedonic benefits concurrently.
“Products and promotions generally incorporate both utilitarian and hedonic benefits concurrently (Chandon et al., 2000; Voss et al., 2003).”
From Reward Design for Customer Referral Programs: Reward–Product Congruence Effect and Gender Difference (2021) · cites this paper as Chandon et al., 2000
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- Authors
- Chandon, P., Wansink, B., & Laurent, G.
- Affiliations
- INSEAD (FR)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- HEC Paris (FR)
- Venue
- Journal of Marketing
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2000-10
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 65-81
- ISSN
- 0022-2429 (ISSN-L)
- 1547-7185
- OpenAlex
- W2165397234
- Cited by
- 1,518
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 82 · 2024: 62 · 2023: 79 · 2022: 75 · 2021: 81 · 2020: 105 · 2019: 82 · 2018: 91 · 2017: 78 · 2016: 64 · 2015: 93 · 2014: 83 · 2013: 83 · 2012: 65
- FWCI
- 51.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Marketing (publishedVersion)
- OpenGrey (Institut de l'Information Scientifique et Technique) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Retail Behavior Studies
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Consumer Behavior and Marketing Influence
- Keywords
- sales promotion effectiveness, consumer benefits, monetary promotions, hedonic benefits, utilitarian benefits, brand equity, everyday low prices, consumer response to promotions, promotional design
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