Customizing the consumer benefit

: an investigation into the effects of individualization, exclusivity and individual characteristics in mass customization

Abstract

Scholars and practitioners alike have paid growing attention to the concept of mass customization. Assuming favourable outcomes for both businesses and consumers, many have expressed high expectations about this increasingly adopted marketing strategy. The blanket advantage of mass customization is however not unquestioned. Theoretical arguments imply narrow conditions under which consumers perceive the process of customization to be superior over the choice among standard products. But what are the conditions that foster positive consumer-reactions to mass customization? Following an experimental research approach, the manipulated simulation of a real-world customization scenario allowed to collect data and to test developed hypotheses. The study examines the effects of different individualization levels and exclusivity on the benefits consumers perceive through customization. It measures the moderating influence of product involvement and category knowledge and assesses the consumers’ intentions to purchase a customized product. Analyses find that (1) consumers value the creative achievement of customizing a product more than they appreciate the enjoyment of the individualization process as such. (2) Investigations into the role of exclusivity further imply that its perception is viewed as an additional cue of information that is detached from customization activities. (3) Despite strong individual effects of product involvement and category knowledge, no moderating influence was found on the effect of individualization. Collectively, these findings hold implications for how businesses can create value for consumers. The study contributes to the academic literature on consumer behavior as it extends the understanding of how, and under what conditions, mass customization is likely to succeed.

Date of Award	21 Jul 2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rita Coelho do Vale (Supervisor)