• ISSN: 2301-3567 (Print), 2972-3981 (Online)
    • Abbreviated Title: J. Econ. Bus. Manag.
    • Frequency: Quarterly
    • DOI: 10.18178/JOEBM
    • Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Eunjin Hwang
    • Executive Editor: Ms. Fiona Chu
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HOME > Archive > 2022 > Volume 10 Number 5 (Oct. 2022) >
JOEBM 2022 Vol.10(5): 292-298 ISSN: 2301-3567
DOI: 10.18178/joebm.2022.10.5.715

Understanding the Role of Usage Frequency for Sustainable Consumption

Lin Wang

Abstract—Product marketing for durable goods could play a more central role in encouraging sustainable consumption by making usage frequency more of a selling point to consumers. The three studies in this paper investigate consumers’ considerations when selecting one high-end product versus multiple disposable products and identify effective marketing strategies for encouraging sustainable and “cost-effective” consumption. Study 1 shows that, given the same budget, consumers show a preference for purchasing multiple disposable products rather than one high-end product. Consumers overlooked a critical but latent factor in making consumption choices----usage frequency. Although consumers generally believe that their money is better spent buying high-end products and using them repeatedly, for the most part they fail to take usage frequency into account when making purchases. Study 2 manipulates the salience of usage frequency nudged this latent product feature becomes salient in the purchasing environment. The findings of study 2 indicate that if usage frequency is mentioned effectively in marketing messages, consumers will be more likely to make more sustainable purchase decisions of choosing one high-end product over multiple disposable ones. Study 3 constructs concept provides insights to explore which is the more “cost-effective” choice for consumers with different actual product usage preferences: high-end products or disposable products? Finally, this research offers actionable strategies for marketers and policy makers seeking to help consumers overcome product usage frequency neglect and nudge them toward purchasing products they will use repeatedly.

Index Terms—Usage frequency, sustainable consumption, high-end product, cost-effectiveness.

Lin Wang is with the University of Southampton, Southampton, UK (e-mail: wanglin2592@qq.com).

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Cite:Lin Wang, "Understanding the Role of Usage Frequency for Sustainable Consumption," Journal of Economics, Business and Management vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 292-298, 2022.

Copyright © 2022 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

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