University Knowledge Inside: How and When University–Industry Collaborations Make New Products More Attractive to Consumers
研究了校企合作开发的新产品如何通过提升科学合法性来增强消费者吸引力，发现消费者愿意为此多付65%的价格，且效果在高科技产品、新企业和相信科学的消费者中更显著。
In this research, the authors examine how consumers perceive the fruits of university–industry collaborations (i.e., new products codeveloped with universities). Eight studies document a positive university effect and highlight its practical significance and boundary conditions. An Instagram A/B test utilizing a video that refers (vs. does not refer) to the underlying university–industry collaboration results in higher click-through rates and ad engagement levels. Another field study demonstrates that university-codeveloped products are more attractive to consumers, even after an actual product trial. Further, several consequential studies reveal that consumers are willing to pay up to 65% more for products marketed as codeveloped with a university. The authors argue and show that collaborating with a university infuses the underlying firm with a stronger sense of scientific legitimacy, thereby making the resulting product more attractive to consumers. Congruously, the authors find that the effect is more pronounced when the scientific legitimacy engendered by universities is more important to the focal product (i.e., high tech vs. low tech), underlying company (i.e., new vs. established), or target customer (i.e., high vs. low belief in science).