Kirk Kristofferson is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Ivey Business School. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. His research interests are centered on understanding the impact of social influence and persuasion in consumption contexts. Specifically, he studies the motivations and social factors that drive consumers to behave prosocially, and how impression-management desires can impact subsequent consumer choice. His research has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Journal for the Association of Consumer Research, and the Cambridge Handbook of Consumer Psychology, and has been featured in numerous global media outlets such as Time Magazine, Harvard Business Review, the Washington Post.
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Kristofferson, K.; Daniels, M. E.; Morales, A. C., 2022, "Using virtual reality to increase charitable donations", Marketing Letters, January 33(1): 75 - 87.
Abstract: Marketer interest in using virtual reality (VR) as a persuasion tactic continues to rise. Notably, one sector at the forefront of utilizing this tactic for persuasive means is nonprofit marketing. Many charities have devoted considerable resources to creating VR appeals under the assumption that this medium will increase donations over and above present tactics. However, research has not yet examined the persuasive consequences VR may provide over more traditional channels. This research seeks to understand the opportunities and limitations this emerging tactic can offer marketers. Specifically, we examine the donation effectiveness of three real VR charitable appeals by assessing actual donation behaviors, and find that VR appeals increase donations compared to a two-dimensional (2D) format. This work addresses a timely and relevant issue for practitioners and opens doors to future research investigating VR’s applications to marketing.
Link(s) to publication:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11002-021-09601-8
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11002-021-09601-8
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Duclos, R.; Sepehri, A.; Kristofferson, K.; Vinoo, P.; Elahi, H., 2021, "The Power of Indirect Appeals in Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Why “S/He” Can Raise More Money For Me Than “I” Can For Myself", Journal Of Consumer Psychology, July 31(3): 612 - 620.
Abstract: The proliferation of peer-to-peer fundraising-platforms (e.g., GoFundMe, Rally, Fundly) poses conceptual and substantive challenges for behavioral scientists and fundraisers. In this article, we explore how fundraisers should craft their appeals to maximize their chance of success. Four field- and laboratory-studies find that direct appeals (i.e., narratives written in the first-person by the intended recipient) raise less money than otherwise-identical indirect-appeals (i.e., narratives written in the third-person, seemingly by a third party on behalf of the intended recipient). The cause? Prospective donors ascribe lesser (greater) credibility to direct (indirect) appeals, which in turn curtails (increases) their giving. Since the narrative voice (direct vs. indirect) in which appeals are crafted is often discretionary (i.e., adjustable), our findings offer prescriptive guidelines for fundraisers.
Link(s) to publication:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jcpy.1232
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Kristofferson, K.; Lamberton, C.; Dahl, D. W., 2018, "Can Brands Ever Squeeze Wine from Sour Grapes? The Importance of Self-Esteem in Understanding Envy’s Effects", Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, April 3(2): 229 - 239.
Abstract: Brands frequently rely on envy as a means of fostering brand connection and motivating consumer purchase. The current investigation extends recent consumer research in this area, using an interpersonal envy-inducing method to capture envy’s effects on consumers’ brand and product perceptions. We find that while lower self-esteem consumers withdraw from brands when experiencing malicious envy, higher self-esteem consumers preserve or enhance their relationship with an envied brand when experiencing this emotion. As such, while using envy to foster brand relationships and motivate purchase can be successful with higher self-esteem consumers, among lower self-esteem consumers this tactic is likely to prove largely ineffective and may in fact backfire. Finally, we also show that providing external opportunities to self-affirm in ways other than brand or product denigration reduces the negative consequences of envy among low self-esteem consumers.
Link(s) to publication:
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/697082
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/697082
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Kristofferson, K.; McFerran,, B.; Morales, A. C.; Dahl, D. W., 2017, "The Dark Side of Scarcity Promotions: How Exposure to Limited Quantity Promotions Can Induce Aggression", Journal of Consumer Research, February 43(5): 683 - 706.
Abstract: Marketers frequently use scarcity promotions, where a product or event is limited in availability. The present research shows conditions under which the mere exposure to such advertising can activate actual aggression that manifests even outside the domain of the good being promoted. Further, we document the process underlying this effect: exposure to limited-quantity promotion advertising prompts consumers to perceive other shoppers as competitive threats to obtaining a desired product and physiologically prepares consumers to aggress. Seven studies using multiple behavioral measures of aggression demonstrate this deleterious response to scarcity promotions.
Link(s) to publication:
https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article/43/5/683/2528223
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw056
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Kristofferson, K.; White, K.; Peloza, J., 2014, "The Nature of Slacktivism: How the Social Observability of an Initial Act of Token Support Impacts Subsequent Prosocial Action", Journal of Consumer Research, April 40(6): 1149 - 1166.
Abstract: Prior research offers competing predictions regarding whether an initial token display of support for a cause (such as wearing a ribbon, signing a petition, or joining a Facebook group) subsequently leads to increased and otherwise more meaningful contributions to the cause. The present research proposes a conceptual framework elucidating two primary motivations that underlie subsequent helping behavior: a desire to present a positive image to others and a desire to be consistent with one's own values. Importantly, the socially observable nature (public vs. private) of initial token support is identified as a key moderator that influences when and why token support does or does not lead to meaningful support for the cause. Consumers exhibit greater helping on a subsequent, more meaningful task after providing an initial private (vs. public) display of token support for a cause. Finally, the authors demonstrate how value alignment and connection to the cause moderate the observed effects.
Link(s) to publication:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/674137
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