Leader-Driven Primacy: How Attribute Order Can Affect Consumer Choice

Leader-driven primacy in consumer choice uses initial product information to install a targeted brand as the early leader. Then the biased evaluation of subsequent attributes builds support for that brand. The end result is that the manipulation of information order impacts the proportion of consumers who prefer the installed (leading) brand. Study 1 finds leader-driven primacy in the choice between two equally attractive brands. Study 2 extends this result to a situation where one brand is slightly better and to a method where the leader is not explicitly identified. Study 3 installs a leading brand, but then eliminates leader-driven primacy by inhibiting attribute-based processing in favor of processing by brand.

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