Using variety-seeking-based segmentation to study promotional response

The link between variety seeking and promotional response has been of inter est to marketing researchers for quite some time. By segmenting consumers a ccording to their variety-seeking needs, researchers have established some interesting results regarding the variation in promotional response across segments. However the sole basis for segmentation thus far has been unidime nsional (e.g., high- and low-variety seekers). This research discusses a un ique way to segment consumers based not only on the usual extent (or mean) of variety seeking but also on the intensity (or consistency) of variety-se eking behavior a new segmentation criterion. The authors conduct an empiric al study to test the two-dimensional segmentation scheme and investigate di fferences in response to a variety of promotions across the segments. The i nclusion of the intensity aspect of variety seeking as an additional basis for segmentation has a significant impact on promotional response and offer s substantially richer managerial interpretation.