The Challenge of Being a Challenger: Social Dominance Orientation Shapes the Impact of “Challenger vs. Leader” Comparisons
Xingbo Li, Michael J. Barone, Shailendra P. Jain, Mina Kwon
Journal of Consumer Psychology · 2021 · Volume 31 · Issue 1
Abstract
The current research investigates when and how comparative advertising effectiveness is shaped by social dominance orientation (SDO), that is, the degree to which one desires to maintain the status quo in social hierarchies. We examine these issues with regard to “challenger vs. leader” comparisons that seek to change the relative standing of competitors in a product category by documenting the superiority of challenger brands over market leaders. Findings demonstrate that the resistance to change characterizing high (vs. low) SDO individuals makes them respond (1) less favorably to “challenger vs. leader” comparisons that seek to alter the existing category hierarchy and (2) more favorably to “leader vs. challenger” comparisons that preserve this status quo in the category hierarchy. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed, as are avenues for future research.
Keywords
Category hierarchies, Comparative advertising, Resistance to change, Social dominance orientation
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