That sales promotions provide a wide range of benefits; or when customers find it hard to evaluate choices when they perceive that promotion offers no needed value may be the reasons that the effectiveness of a promotion depends on the congruency between benefits the product offers and the nature of the product. Therefore, it would be very beneficial for marketing professionals if they have a profound understanding of the congruency framework between category of promoted product and type of promotions. When the congruency is optimized, the benefits of promotions are compatible with promoted products, this will lead to a higher demand of the product1. Following the most prevalent models of consumer choice, such as attitude formation or economic utility theory, products are evaluated based on the benefits they offer weighted differently by their significance to consumers due to types of products, buying occasions, and personalities2. Regarding the low-involvement products, their benefits incline to be devalued to zero, only some benefits, therefore, the most significant ones, are assessed in the buying evaluation. For instance, laundry detergent purchasers in America indicated that some benefits, such as product functioning, price, attached emotions, or social principles, make up for 80% of the self-stated benefits looked for. Several researches have verified that the importance of benefits sought are inconstant3.
However, Leong’s replicating study presented an unambiguous proof for Hoyer’s study. The results indicated that although Singaporean consumers reported the same list of benefits presenting more than 80% of benefits sought, their weights dramatically vary from those figures of the American. Remarkably, Leong discovered that the importance weighs fluctuate more through products classifications than crosswise over nationalities for a similar classification4.
Subsequently, it is expected that the utilitarian benefits of a particular decision options are given more weight when consumers are seeking for utilitarian buy choice, and that hedonic benefits are given more weight when customers settle on a hedonic buy choice. The different significance of the benefits sought suggests that the effectiveness of a sales promotion is higher when its benefits are consistent with those looked for the purchase occasion. Simply put, the benefit congruency rule suggests that deal promotions are more compelling in impacting brand choice decision when they give the benefits that have the biggest weight in the assessment of a buy option.