(The) effect of fit between social distance and benefit type on consumer response to organic wine recommendation

Abstract

In the context of diffusion of a green new product through word-of-mouth, this research proposes the social distance of recommender as the situational factor that affects individuals’ perception and decision-making. Specifically, we propose and demonstrate that the fit between construal level activated by the social distance of recommender and benefit type influences quality perception and purchase intention. We adopt organic wine for the experiment, which is a green new product conveying both functional and symbolic benefits. The result shows that the relationship between the type of benefit (functional vs. symbolic) and the purchase intention is moderated by the social distance of recommender (close vs. distant) as well as the perceived quality mediates the effect of benefit type and social distance of recommender on the intention to purchase. When individuals communicate with the socially close recommender, individuals with functional (vs. symbolic) benefits are more likely to perceive higher quality and exhibit greater purchase intention. However, when individuals communicate with the socially distant recommender, individuals with symbolic (vs. functional) benefits are more likely to perceive higher quality and exhibit greater purchase intention.