Can low-price information go viral? Roles of social image concern and message design in viral marketing

Purpose The effectiveness and success of low-price viral marketing, which leverages consumers’ social networks to help disseminate the low-price information, hinge upon consumers’ motivation to participate in low-price viral marketing. Whereas discovering a good low-price deal may lead consumers to be perceived as smart shoppers, it may synchronously trigger an undesirable social image of cheapness. Drawing on impression management theory, our study reconciles this paradox by empirically examining the opposing effects of these two social image concerns on consumer intention to participate in low-price viral marketing campaigns. Design/methodology/approach Using regression analysis and structural equation modeling, this study investigates the opposite effects of perceived cheapness and perceived smartness on consumer willingness to forward low-price viral marketing information. It further examines the moderating roles of third-person personification (“My friend” rather than “I”) in low-price viral marketing message design and consumers’ social status. Findings The results indicate that consumers’ perceived cheapness negatively, whereas perceived smartness positively affects their intention to participate in low-price viral marketing. Moreover, third-person personification weakens the effects of perceived cheapness and perceived smartness on intention to participate. Social status significantly strengthens the relationship between perceived cheapness and willingness to participate in viral marketing. Originality/value This study extends impression management theory to low-price viral marketing, advancing the understanding of how social image concerns initiated by low prices affect the effectiveness of low-price viral marketing and offering practical insights for firms seeking to develop more effective low-price viral marketing strategies.