A smart home system is like a " Mother"!

A smart home system is like a " Mother"!: The effects of product metaphor on consumers' comprehension of really new products (RNPs)

Peiyao, Cheng (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
Mugge, R. (TU Delft Marketing and Consumer Research)
de Bont, Cees (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)

Bohemia, E. (editor)
de Bont, C. (editor)
Svengren Holm, L. (editor)

2017

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.

consumers’ comprehension
really new products (RNPs)
innovations
product metaphor

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:003a5475-fb7e-4b25-8ca0-72a3645384d1

The Design Research Society, London

978-1-912294-11-4

Conference Proceedings of the Design Management Academy: Research Perspectives on Creative Intersections

The Design Management Academy 2017 International Conference, 2017-06-07 → 2017-06-09, Hong Kong, China

Conference Proceedings of the Design Management Academy, 2514-8419, 1

Institutional Repository

conference paper

© 2017 Cheng Peiyao, R. Mugge, Cees de Bont