Washington: A new study revealed that sunny and snowy conditions trigger consumers to mentally visualise using products associated with the respective weather, which leads to consumers placing a higher value on them. Researchers also found the link between weather and higher product valuation only works for products that are related to being outside.
For example, if the product is a beach towel, and the sun is out - a customer is not just looking at the beach towel, they are likely imagining themselves lying on the beach towel in the sun, increasing the value of the product in the customer's mind.
The study was conducted at the UBC Sauder School of Business. It was published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. According to study co-author and UBC Sauder associate professor, JoAndrea Hoegg, "We think the mental simulation only works in sunshine and snow because these weather conditions have a positive association with outside activities. There are not many activities that are enabled by rain. Most products associated with the rain, such as raincoats and umbrellas, are just to protect oneself against the rain and not to enable activities."
For the study, the researchers analysed sales data over a one-year period from a large online auction site and the coinciding weather conditions of when and where those purchases took place. The researchers also analysed the number of images displayed to consumers for each product to measure the degree of mental simulation - the more images that were shown, the easier it was for customers to mentally simulate themselves using the products.
Hoegg suggests that companies that sell a wide range of products online can benefit most from the insights that this research provides. Online sellers often use algorithms to determine what products to feature and how those products are priced
