Mindful marketing: a study of the effect of impulse buying on mindfulness and the mediating effect of trait antecedents

Mindfulness as a concept has existed for thousands of years in the Buddhist tradition and other meditative practices. The Buddhist path to nirvana incorporates the ability to be “in the moment.” This research aims to examine how mindfulness can affect impulse buying. Using personality traits from the Big 5 Personality Traits and the 3M Model of Motivation and Personality, we construct a model to study the predictive relationships to Mindfulness. Results show that mindfulness is related to impulse buying, either affectively or cognitively. The more mindful the consumer is, the less likely he/she will make an impulse buy. Additionally, consciousness did not positively affect the need for arousal or material things. The more conscientious you are, the less the need to be aroused. This indicates that companies need to differentiate between very conscientious consumers and consumers who are not. The more a consumer looks for information, the less likely any marketing cues, such as advertisements or social media, will arouse him/her. This study can help marketers understand the most critical personality traits affecting mindfulness and impulse buying.