Winners enjoy waiting to know about their prize

Washington, June 16 (ANI): Winning a prize makes people happy, but those who win get much more pleasure in waiting to know what they have got, according to a new study.

Study authors Yih Hwai Lee, from the National University of Singapore, and Cheng Qiu, from the University of Hong Kong, say that people who know they've won a prize enjoy the anticipation of wondering what they will win, especially if they have clues about what it might be.

They revealed that prizewinners spend time imagining using the potential prizes, and such "virtual consumption" prolongs positive feelings, which in turn makes them receptive to marketing messages.

The two studies were conducted where participants played and won simulated lucky-draw games.

While some learned what their prizes were immediately, others were told they had won something from a pool of prizes.

"We find that consumers will be more delighted after winning a lucky draw when they do not know immediately the exact prize they will receive than when they do," wrote the authors.

It was observed that participants who got clues about the nature of the possible prizes (such as knowing it was an electronic product) responded even more favourably.

They also favoured prizes that were capable of eliciting mental imagery, like sensory-stimulating products such as chocolates or aromatherapy candles.

"Consumers in happier moods have been found to react more favorably to marketing information and activities. Our research suggests that by incorporating positive uncertainty into the design of marketing activities (for example, in promotional events), marketers may not only make consumers happier, but also make them potentially more receptive toward subsequent marketing efforts," concluded the authors.

The study has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research. (ANI)