Abstract:

How to frame promotion messages according to particular promotion situations is a critical issue that influences the effectiveness of a promotion and eventually has an impact on a firm’s revenue. For example, a same promotion message can be framed as either a gain or a reduced loss. This study explores how regulatory focus moderates the effect of the promotion framing on buying intention and tests two hypotheses using analysis of variance. Consistent with our hypothesis, the results showed that for consumers with a promotion focus, buying intention was higher when a promotion message was framed as a gain than it was framed as a reduced loss. On the other hand, for consumers with a prevention focus, buying intention was higher when a promotion message was framed as a reduced loss than it was framed as a gain. The findings of the study shed lights on how to use psychological theories of framing effects in sales promotion research. It also provides important managerial implications for marketing managers to develop effective promotion strategies.

Key words: Framing, Regulatory Focus, Sales Promotion, Buy Intention