Look for the Signature: Personal Signatures as a Cue for Quality

• Purpose: Personal signatures are often infused into marketing stimuli as a signal of product quality. Does a vintner’s signature on a wine bottle connote quality to a consumer? • Design: Two studies were run using experimentation. In Study 1, we examined the effect of a vintner’s personal signature on a bottle of wine on perceived quality, as indexed by willingness to pay. In Study 2, we examined how wine knowledge moderates this effect. • Findings: Results demonstrate that including a personal signature in marketing stimuli influences consumer perceptions of product quality through two paths. Personal signatures act as a generic cue for quality, and also associate a particular individual’s identity with the product being marketed. • Practical Implications: Although a personal signature often enhances perceived quality, the present research suggests that a personal signature can have the unintended consequence of detracting from perceived product quality.