Taming the Blame Game: Using Promotion Programs to Counter Product-Harm Crises
研究价格折扣与捐赠促销两种方式如何帮助品牌缓解产品伤害危机的负面影响，发现对于中等声誉品牌，低价值捐赠促销比价格折扣更有效，其机制在于减少消费者对品牌的指责。
The present research examines how different kinds of promotion programs (i.e., price discount versus donation promotion) buffer brands from the ill effects of product-harm crises. Drawing on attribution theory, the authors investigate the differential effects of promotion programs on consumer responses following ambiguous product-harm crises. These effects are moderated by promotion depth (i.e., the monetary value of a promotion) and brand reputation. Results show that for low-depth promotions, donation is more effective than price discount when the product-harm crisis involves moderately reputable brands. Importantly, the authors identify blame attribution as the mediating mechanism accounting for the interaction effects. When the locus of causality is external to the focal brand, the interaction effects of promotion programs and brand reputation disappear.