The Influence of Temporal Distance on Consumer Preferences for Technology-Based Innovations†

Rapid technological developments in the computer and the telecommunications industries have spurred the introduction of technology-based products. An important feature of these products is that they can be characterized based on improvements in the functionality and the interface. When consumers evaluate a technology-based product, they face a trade-off: How should they choose between a product that offers a superior functionality and another product that offers a superior interface? The present research focuses on how temporal distance (i.e., time) from the purchase or use occasion of a technology-based innovation influences consumers' evaluations of the new product. Specifically, the present study examines how temporal distance affects the trade-offs consumers make between improvements in the interface and improvements in the functionality of a new product. This research demonstrates that the weight consumers place on the functionality and the interface of a new product is a function of the temporal distance. Specifically, the functionality of the product is valued more in distant future events. In contrast, the interface of the product is more important in the near future. This research has direct implications for various aspects of the new product development process such as customer-product research methods used, communication strategies, and product preannouncements.