본 논문은 판매촉진 정보의 제시방법(framing)이 소비자의 보너스팩과 가격할인에 대한 선호에 미치는 영향을 연구하였다. 기존의 판매촉진 연구들은 소비자들이 보너스팩보다 가격할인을 더 선호하는 경향이 있는 것을 보여주었다. 본 연구는 소비자의 두 유형의 판촉에 대한 상대적인 선호는 판매촉진 메시지 프레이밍과 할인의 크기에 따라 달라진다는 것을 제시하였다. 구체적으로, 판매촉진 메시지가 절대적 프레임으로 제시될 경우(예, xx원 할인, xx개 추가 증정)에는 소비자는 가격할인을 보너스팩보다 더 선호하나, 메시지가 상대적 프레임으로 제시될 경우(예, xx% 할인, xx% 추가 증정)에는 보너스팩에 대한 상대적 선호가 더 증가한다는 가설을 제시하였다. 또한 이러한 프레이밍 효과는 할인의 크기가 클수록 더 현저하게 나타날 것으로 기대했다. 연구 가설을 소비자의 구매의도(실험 1)와 선택(실험 2)을 종속변수로 한 두 실증연구를 통해 검증하였다. 실험 1은 인터넷 영화관 포인트를 구매하는 상황을 설정하여, 동일한 단위가격(unit price)을 가지는 가격할인과 보너스팩에 대한 평가가 메시지 프레이밍 방법에 따라 어떻게 달라지는 가를 검증하였다. 절대적 프레임으로 판매촉진 메시지가 제시되었을 경우에는 소비자들은 가격할인을 더 선호하였으나, 상대적 프레임 하에서는 보너스팩에 대한 선호가 증가하였다. 이와 같은 메시지 프레이밍의 효과는 할인폭이 큰 경우에만 유의한 것으로 나타났다. 실험 2에서는 실험 1의 외적타당성의 한계를 보완하고자 가격할인을 제공하는 대안과 보너스팩을 제공하는 대안에 대한 소비자의 선택을 조사하였다. 실험 2의 결과 또한 판매촉진에 대한 선택확률도 메시지 프레이임과 할인 크기에 따라 달라진다는 것을 보여주었다.
This research examines the influence of the framing of promotional messages on the relative preference for price cut and bonus pack promotions that provide the same discounted unit price. The extant literature shows that consumers tend to prefer price cuts (that offer monetary savings) to bonus packs (that offer extra amount of the product). Although price cut is one of the most frequently used sales promotion tools and has strong impact on sales increase, it also has some limitations such as lowering perceived quality and reference price, resulting in decreases in potential future demand of the promoted product. Bonus pack promotion can be an alternative promotional tool with reduced negative long-term effects. Then, how can we increase consumers' preference for bonus pack promotion? This research extends the findings of prior studies and suggests that the relative preference for price cuts and bonus pack is moderated by whether the promotional message is absolutely framed (presenting the absolute amount of monetary savings or free extra-products) or relatively framed (presenting the percentage of monetary savings or free extra-products). Specifically, this research proposes and tests the following key hypotheses: (1) consumers prefer discount to bonus pack under the absolute frame, (2) consumers' preference for bonus pack increases under the relative frame, and (3) the framing effect is stronger when the discount is deeper than shallower. In case of the absolute frame, because consumers can easily recognize exact saving they can obtain from each type of sales promotion, they will evaluate it according to the amount of monetary saving (price cut) or the free extra amount of the products (bonus pack). Thus, their evaluation of sales promotions is more strongly affected by the discounted unit price. When the two types of the sales promotions offer the same unit price, consumers are likely to prefer discount to bonus pack, because of the benefits of price cuts such as lower transaction cost and inventory cost. In case of the relative frame, because consumers have difficulty in calculating the degree of discount they can get, they are more likely to evaluate it based on the value of the framed rates (discount rate, bonus pack rate). Given the same sale unit price, bonus pack rate is higher than that of price cut. For example, the sales promotion that offer 20% price discount is equivalent the bonus pack that offer 25% extra products in terms of the unit price. Because it is more difficult to calculate the unit price when the message is presented in the relative frame, consumers tend to rely more on the system 1 rather than system 2, resulting in a simple comparison of the presented price discount rate and bonus pack rate. Thus, relatively presented promotional messages should increase consumers’ relative preference for bonus pack. Our proposed predictions are tested in two empirical studies. Experiment 1 set the situation to purchase points of Internet cinema. Participants rated their relative preference (in terms of purchase intention) for the two types of sales promotion that varied in terms of framing of sales promotion messages (absolute vs. relative) and the depth of discount (shallow vs. deep). The results showed that when promotion messages are absolutely framed, price cut promotion was preferred to bonus pack promotion. However, when messages are relatively framed, price cut promotion and bonus pack promotion were equally preferred. We also found that the moderating effect of message framing was more prominent when the discount rate was higher. These key findings are replicated in study 2 that examined the effects of message framing on consumer choice between two fitness centers, one offering price cut promotion and the other offering bonus pack promotion. Under the absolute frame, consumers were more likely to choose the fitness center that offered price cut promotion than that offered bonus pack promotion. When promotional messages are relatively framed, choice between price cut and bonus pack promotions did not differ. Through the both experiments, it showed that preference for the two types of sales promotion having the same unit price may vary according to the framing of sales promotion messages and the degree of discount. Theoretically this study has the significance to clarify the role of the unit price framed by sales promotion activities which the existing literature on the sales promotion has overlooked. And it also has the meaning to present that evaluation on different types of sales promotion having the same unit price may vary according to the message framing. And practically, it showed that preference for the certain sales promotion may be influenced by the method how marketers communicate sales promotion messages.