消费者一定偏爱“笑脸”吗?产品外观中的表情元素对消费者的影响

Do consumers always prefer a smiley face?Effects of product“facial”expressions on consumer attitude

表情是产品拟人化外观设计中重要元素。产品正面或负面的拟人化“表情”(表达正面或负面情感的表情)会影响到消费者对产品的感知。人际交往相关理论验证了正面表情对消费者的积极影响,并认为负面表情不利于消费者与产品的互动。但是在现实市场中我们却看到,消费者有时却更喜爱展现负面表情的产品,营销领域的产品拟人化研究鲜有关注到产品表情的错位影响。具体而言,在拟人化营销研究领域,以下三个研究问题尚待探讨:产品表情有怎样的具体体现及市场效用;产品表情对消费者行为和态度影响的心理机制为何;以及来自于消费者特质和产品因素的调节效应。回答以上问题能够进一步拓展和丰富营销领域的拟人化理论,同时也将从实践上为产品外观设计提供建议和指导。

For many consumers,product face is an important factor that determines their evaluation and purchase decision.Up till now,many researchers believe that negative product facial expressions(e.g anger)are negatively related to customer attitude and behavior.But in reality,negative faces are also related to coolness and competence.Up till now,researches regarding the paradoxical effect of anthropomorphized product expression remain scarce,and the existing work on social communication cannot be used to explain personified products without adaptation and testing.Based on this research gap,3 questions remain unsolved:how does product facial expression influence consumer behavior;what is the psychological mechanism behind such effect;will product type and consumer characteristics influence consumer perception of product facial expression?The answers to these questions can be used to expand the theory of personification in marketing,and to guide product managers in choosing the most appropriate design for their products.