Research conducted by the University of New Hampshire reveals that while political leanings might not significantly affect everyday purchases for individuals, these affiliations could significantly influence choices when buying gifts for friends, family, and co-workers. This insight into consumer behaviour suggests that political considerations could be more prominent in gift selections during the holiday season.

Justin Pomerance, an assistant professor of marketing at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, who led the research, explained that the study comprised five distinct investigations, each focusing on the purchase of different products. Participants were tasked with selecting items both for themselves and as gifts for acquaintances. It was observed that political inclinations had a more substantial impact on gift choices, presumably because gift-givers consider the perceived preferences of the recipients. This finding underscores the influence of political identity in scenarios where people are making choices on behalf of others.

The study, recently published in the International Journal of Research in Marketing, highlighted that the political affiliations of a gift recipient play a more crucial role than the nature of the product itself. In one of the experiments, participants were asked to create music playlists. When selecting songs for themselves, only 58% of their choices were from artists matching their political ideologies. However, this figure rose to 64% when the same individuals created playlists for someone else, indicating a stronger inclination to align gift choices with the recipient’s political views. Similar trends were observed in other scenarios, such as choosing artworks, where participants favoured pieces that were politically congruent with the recipient’s views more than their own.

The research further examined the impact of political cues compared to other identity markers like gender and race. Participants were informed about a museum’s major donor’s political leanings or demographic background in one instance. Findings showed that political cues had a more pronounced effect on the participants’ choices than gender or race, suggesting that political identity is perceived more as personal choice and preference. Therefore, it’s more socially acceptable to base likes or dislikes on politics.

Pomerance pointed out several reasons for this phenomenon. He suggested that because political identity is seen as a choice, it reflects an individual’s values and preferences more. This aspect makes it a more significant factor in decision-making, especially when choosing gifts to resonate with the recipient’s identity.

Moreover, this research sheds light on the broader implications for businesses. While companies might assume that taking a political stance or signalling political affiliations through their products or branding could sway consumer purchasing decisions, the findings indicate that this is less likely to impact individual purchases directly. However, the insights gained are crucial for understanding consumer behaviour, mainly when purchases are made on behalf of others. This is especially relevant in professional and social contexts where gifts are often exchanged among co-workers, friends, and family members.

While political polarization remains a dominant theme in public discourse, this research suggests that politics does not always play a central role in personal consumer decisions. This could be seen as a positive sign, indicating that despite society’s heightened political awareness, everyday consumer behaviour remains relatively unaffected by political divides.

More information: Justin Pomerance et al, Party Over Product: People Exaggerate the Influence of Political Cues on Others’ Consumption Preferences, International Journal of Research in Marketing. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2024.07.007

Journal information: International Journal of Research in Marketing Provided by University of New Hampshire