Page 1 of 3
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 08
September 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 328
Marketing Hedonics.
Owais Ahmed
Ph. D Scholar at Punjab technical University, Jalander, Punjab, India, 144603,
Salsaabiill@yahoo.com.
ABSTRACT.
Hedonics a psychological perspective, seek
pleasure over pain Hedonics present
valuable insights for marketers. Marketers
could explore hedonics across all facets of
marketing strategy like market offering,
promotion, pricing and distribution.
Researchers in the past had focused on
hedonics a psychological economic aspect.
However, the current study would integrate
hedonics in marketing, leading to marketing
hedonics. Also, various implications for
marketing organizations would be part of
the study as well.
KEYWORDS: Marketing, Hedonics.
INTRODUCTION.
Hedonics is a branch of psychology that
studies pleasant, unpleasant sensations and
states of mind. Hedonics help in identifying,
analyzing and addressing unconscious
drives, desires, needs of consumers.
Marketers utilize hedonics for creating
awareness, persuasion and action about
unconscious, meeting and satisfying needs,
respectively. Hedonics lead to drafting of
messages to target specialized segments of
consumers. Hedonic items are more
enjoyable, purchased less frequently and are
fewer prices sensitive. Motives like social
influence, pleasure often are associated with
hedonic purchase.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE.
Hedonism represents pleasure of senses.
Hedonism believes that human behavior is
motivated by the desire of pleasure and the
avoidance of pain. Hedonic motives behind
purchase include utility anticipation,
optimization of choice, feeling of power and
authority, affiliation and stimulation
(Solomon et al., 2010). Hedonic
consumption brings joy, happiness, blissful
state (Lee and Vohs, 2015). Hedonic
products are characterized by affective or
sensory experience of aesthetic, sensual
pleasure, fantasy and fun (Hirschman and
Holbrook, 1982). Hedonic products include
luxury cars, watches, clothes, mobile phones
etc. Hedonistic products and experiences
reduce stress levels, soothe mind.
Consumers driven by hedonic state of mind
project themselves as high end personalities,
with high self esteem, respect and ego.
Hedonic communications inducing positive
affective states appealing to user image
generate affective response from the user
(Adaval, 2001). Hedonics finds involvement
in product and packaging design; store
concepts and atmosphere (Chitturi et al.,
Page 2 of 3
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 08
September 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 329
2008). Consumers develop affective positive
responses only, when they base their product
evaluations on hedonic criteria like
exclusivity, uniqueness, luxury etc. Hedonic
communication develops personality of
products, brands that appeal to personality
of consumers based on their values,
lifestyles (Johar and Sirgy, 1991). Perfect
match between hedonic product
characteristics and communications generate
more positive responses (Davis and Lennon,
1989). Communication effectiveness having
hedonic appeals depend up on consumer
gender, self monitoring, control orientation
(Debono and Packer, 1991; Zuckerman et
al., 1988). Hedonic communications have
more positive impact on consumers while
having positive affective states.
IMPLICATIONS.
Market offerings, experiences with
exclusiveness, uniqueness, differential
elements, would synchronise with the
hedonic characteristics of consumer
personality, leading to happiness, purchase,
excitement, contentment and prestige.
Ambience, attractiveness, elegance, of
marketing organizations, channel members,
franchisees, sale points, strike a chord with
hedonic feelings, states, of consumers
leaving strong impact on their buying
experiences. Messages conveying higher
order needs like self esteem, expression,
individuality, persona, address hedonic
elements, create desire to experience,
purchase, and acquisition. Affluent pricing
identifies with hedonic needs, feelings;
create exclusivity, high end segment;
perceive different than others.
CONCLUSION.
Hedonics a consumer analytic framework
for marketing organizations. Hedonics
though, a psychological concept, but offer
significant opportunities for marketers
across all marketing functions. Marketers
identify, select and target hedonic consumer
segments with hedonic products,
promotions, pricing and distribution
channels. Marketers identifying, meeting
and satisfying consumer hedonic needs
witness growth, sustainability,
competitiveness, customer relationship
management and loyalty. Designing and
drafting specialized content capable of
creating awareness, desire, persuasion and
action among consumers would open
humungous marketing opportunities and
sales. Marketers need to market products
with pricing able to differentiate target
segments on hedonic perception to sustain
and expand market. Delivery channels
providing impression of specialty,
uniqueness, high endness, leave significant
impact on consumer experience, evaluation,
satisfaction, delight and positive word of
mouth
REFERENCES.
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feels right: The differential weighting of
affect-consistent and affect-inconsistent
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Consumer Research, 28, 1-17.
[2] Chitturi R., Raghunathan R. and
Mahajan V., (2008). “Form versus
function: how the intensities of specific
emotions evoked in functional versus
hedonic trade-offs mediate product
Page 3 of 3
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/index.php/JSMaP
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 08
September 2015
Available online: http://internationaljournalofresearch.org/ P a g e | 330
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