Showing a tree to sell the forest: The impact of attribute- and alternative-based information presentation on consumers’ choices

• Providing attribute- rather than alternative-based information shifts choices.
• When attribute-based, choice is driven by desirability-related high-level attributes.
• When alternative-based, choice is driven by feasibility-related low-level attributes.
• Attribute-based information leads to envision consumption in a distant future.
• Alternative-based information leads to envision consumption in a near future.

Consumers can be provided with information in either an attribute- or an alternative-based way. We consider the literature on information presentation through the theoretical lenses of the Construal Level Theory. We propose and find that providing product-related information in an attribute- rather than an alternative-based way shifts choices. The attribute-based pattern leads to high construal levels and choices driven by desirability-related, high-level attributes (e.g., design). But when the same information is acquired following the alternative-based pattern, it leads to low construal levels and choices driven by feasibility-related, low-level attributes (e.g., price). As a consequence, choice shares for products whose strength lies in convenience and other feasibility-related features are boosted by the presentation of alternative-based information. Conversely, choice shares for products whose strength lies in design and other desirability-related features are increased by the presentation of attribute-based information. We further find that consumers acquiring information in an alternative-based way envision consumption much closer in the future than those acquiring information in an attribute-based way. Finally, we find that attribute-based information leads to more clicking.