Nudging generosity: Examining teasing messaging on influencing altruistic consumer behaviour in conservation donation campaigns
(A2026-133396)

AUTHORS

Jialin (Snow) Wu, Huddersfield Business School, University of Huddersfield; Yucheng Li, Department of Marketing, City University of Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

Organisations like the National Trust and wildlife parks often prompt online ticket purchasers to “add a small donation,” yet conversion rates for these digital add-on requests remain strikingly low. To address this, we investigate whether teasing messaging, a playful provocative form of humour, can enhance conservation-related altruistic behaviour. Across two online experiments and a field study, we demonstrate that teasing (vs. non-teasing) appeals significantly increase donation likelihood (Study 1). Study 2 confirms that this effect is mediated by reduced perceived social distance, indicating that teasing fosters psychological closeness to the cause. While Study 3 (ongoing) tests the moderating role of donation-related gains, preliminary insights suggest tangible rewards may further strengthen this pathway via mental accounting. Theoretically, our work extends teasing research into prosocial domains and integrates construal-level and mental accounting theories. Practically, it offers low-cost, scalable strategies for conservation organisations to boost micro-donations through psychologically informed message design.