Symbolic promotions: Conceptualization and empirical investigation

Abstract

Abstract Symbolic promotions are an increasingly prevalent marketing practice globally, yet little is known about how or when they influence consumer behavior. We conceptualize symbolic promotions as a distinct type of sales promotion that creates value by reinforcing consumers' social identity through shared group membership rather than by providing economic incentives, such as reward-based promotions, or supporting distant others, such as cause-related marketing promotions (CMPs). We investigate the effectiveness of symbolic promotions and their underlying mechanisms using a multimethod approach. A nine-year longitudinal field study of daily sales for 22,084 books demonstrates that an existing symbolic promotion ("On August 12, I buy a Quebec book!") generates a substantial increase in sales, with stronger effects for lesser-known brands than for well-known brands. A follow-up experiment uncovers the unique mechanisms underlying these effects, showing that symbolic promotions stimulate curiosity and community rootedness, which in turn enhance multiple types of behavioral intentions, i.e., the likelihood of participating in the promotion, sharing it on social media, and future brand consideration. Together, these findings position symbolic promotions as a distinct, complementary addition to firms’ promotional portfolios, and demonstrate how firms can leverage shared identities to create value beyond traditional monetary incentives, with implications for various stakeholders.