A competitive resource: consumer-perceived new-product creativity

Purpose This paper aims to examine the influences of consumer-perceived new-product creativity (NPC) on consumers' purchase intentions (PIs), along with the mediating effects of NPC meaningfulness between NPC novelty and PI, and between NPC communicableness and PI. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a self-administrated survey approach in the South West of the USA. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling and a sample consisted of 463 respondents. Findings The study shows that new-product novelty and communicableness are positively related to consumers' PIs while new-product meaningfulness mediates these relationships. Research limitations/implications This research advances the existing creativity literature by probing the core component among different creativity constructs. The study also contributes to the consumer-behavior literature, which has rarely examined consumers' perceived creativity. Practical implications This research offers theoretical foundations and guidelines for entrepreneurs and small firms to develop new products and promotion strategies. Usefulness as a dominant product/service factor should be emphasized in practice. Originality/value A research gap at the interface of new product development and consumer behavior is addressed by investigating the effect of consumer-perceived NPC on consumers' purchase behaviors.