Changing the warmth and competence dimensions : experimental validation in the context of insurance consultants

Purpose: The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) postulates that consumers perceive other individuals primarily in terms of their warmth and competence. This also applies to sales agents. Consumers admire brands that are ‘lovable stars’ (highly competent and very warm). Since previous studies were based on explicit measures of existing people and groups, we aimed at experimentally creating the appropriate characters