rug.nl/feb/research The urge to splurge: Understanding the effects of media cues on impulse buying urges and behavior Anne Moes Most individuals have engaged in impulse buying at some point. Due to its’ scale, impulse purchases have significant implications for various stakeholders, including retailers, consumers, and the environment. We studied the extent to which three contemporary media cues influence impulse buying urges and behaviors. First, we examined the effect of phygital cues: technologies that bridge the digital and physical world, such as interactive screens that allow customers to view entire collections in physical stores. Second, we studied the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) advertising cues, which emphasize the altruistic deeds of socially responsible companies. Finally, we examined the effect of mediated mindfulness cues, such as mindfulness instructional videos. Based on seven experiments and three surveys, we draw three conclusions: 1) Phygital cues can create a sense of agency among consumers, thereby increasing the impulse to make a purchase; 2) CSR advertisements that emphasize the benefits of a purchase for third parties (e.g., “buy this chocolate to support cocoa farmers”) lead to more impulse buys than advertisements focusing on benefits for the consumer (e.g., “buy this chocolate because you deserve it”). This is because the former makes it easier for consumers to justify an impulse purchase; 3) We found no effect of mediated mindfulness cues on impulse buying. This indicates that we did not find evidence that mindfulness can help reduce impulse purchases.
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