Understanding when consumers choose formal product offerings: The role of fresh start reminders

Though the marketplace features products styled at varying levels of formalness, little is known about situations or factors that marketers can leverage to promote their formal (vs. casual) product offerings. This research suggests that fresh start reminders, such as calendar landmarks (e.g., a new year) or messages that remind consumers to start afresh, can increase consumer preferences for formalness in product styles. Employing various fresh start reminders readily available in consumer lives and incorporating field investigation and text analysis techniques, ten studies (including five supplementary studies) show that reminding consumers about fresh starts increases their preferences for formal (vs. casual) styles in clothing, social activities, and lifestyles. The observed effect is driven by consumers’ meaning-seeking motives evoked by fresh start reminders. This research provides marketers with novel perspectives on developing effective strategies to promote formal products and services.