Product art infusion and consumer willingness to pay a premium: identifying mediators and moderators

Purpose Art is a compelling human experience, and marketers are leveraging it to enrich their product design. Underpinned by art infusion theory, this study aims to examine consumer perceptions and evaluations of art-infused products. Design/methodology/approach A literature-informed qualitative study identifies 11 themes that capture consumer perceptual schema of product art infusion (PARTI). Inter-thematic relationships are then hypothesized and tested using structural equation modeling and survey data from the USA and India. Findings In both the USA and India, the results highlight aesthetic pleasure and perceived product functionality as drivers, along with product novelty and immersion as the underlying mechanisms, that foster consumer willingness to pay a premium. The aesthetic pleasure– willingness to pay a premium relationship is moderated by perceived functionality in both countries and by identity expressiveness and appearance enhancement only in India. Research limitations/implications Product novelty and immersion mediate the effect of PARTI on consumer willingness to pay a premium for art-infused products. Practical implications PARTI can enhance aesthetic pleasure and functionality, which together exert a synergistic positive influence willingness to pay a premium. In India, art-infused products are especially preferred when consumers attempt to express their identities and/or enhance their public appearance. Originality/value This research offers and empirically corroborates a conceptual framework that reveals the drivers, underlying psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions that explain how PARTI influences consumer willingness to pay a premium.