An Exploratory Study of Consumer Aesthetic Response to MP3 Player

• Main Authors: Ching-Ting Hu, 胡景婷
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/87411309069975609814

碩士 === 國立中正大學 === 企業管理所 === 93 === Regarding product design as a process of communication, businesses put design products into market, and through some marketing strategies they can only wait for consumer’s purchase decision. However, they do not know consumer’s response to product aesthetics during the communication process. Under this circumstance, a black-box stuck in the communication process. There is no way for businesses to know the reason that their product designs are popular or not. This study arranged in-depth interviews with 11 consumers who value aesthetic attribute of MP3 players and the interviews focused on their aesthetic response to MP3 players. Aesthetic response was described as three categories： 1. Aesthetic impression: the attributes of product appearance that consumers value include small-and-thin in look, simplicity, high quality in look, and uniqueness. 2. Semantic interpretation: out of aesthetic concern, consumers prefer less description in appearance. Attributes such as size, button, and look of product appearance may assist or constrain the use of MP3 players. 3. Symbolic association: consumers may communicate their identity through MP3 players. The association is divided into self-expressive and categorical meanings. The self-expressive symbolism associated with products is derived from personal preferred style, self- expecting image, and brand recognition. The categorical symbolism associated with products includes the association with acquaintances and brand image. Besides product itself, there are also other aspects of marketing strategies influence consumers’ aesthetic cognition. Thus, the influences that price, place, and brand awareness have on aesthetic response were also examined in this study.