The Effect of Messages Emphasizing Fantasies and Expectations on Brand Evaluations and Behavioral Intentions

ABSTRACT We investigate the effect of communication messages based on two forms of thinking about the future—expectation and fantasy—on consumer evaluations and choice. While expectations emphasize that a desired event is either likely or not likely to occur, fantasies elicit a mental image of a desired event either happening or not happening. In three experiments, we show that, compared to messages framed as positive fantasies or negative expectations, messages framed as positive expectations or negative fantasies increase brand evaluations and behavioral intentions. The reason is that messages framed as positive expectations or negative fantasies lead to higher action orientation, mediating the effect of form of thinking about the future and valence on consumers' judgments. We also demonstrate that activating an implemental mindset could increase evaluations and behavioral intentions for messages framed as positive fantasies.