just print it! the effects of self-printing a product on consumers’ product evaluations and perceived ownership

Recent years have witnessed the diffusion of 3d printing technologies that allow consumers to create products with the push of a button. while these technologies change how value is created in the marketplace, there is little research on 3d printing from a consumer perspective. against this background, this research conceptualizes 3d printing as a form of co-creation and presents four studies aimed at understanding how consumers respond to products they have printed themselves. study 1 shows that self-printing a product positively affects product evaluations by increasing perceived ownership. study 2 finds that this effect occurs even when people are not able to observe the printing process. study 3 shows that the positive effect of self-printing is moderated by the affective quality of the products being printed. specifically, while self-printing enhances the evaluations of hedonic products, it has no effect on the evaluations of utilitarian products. finally, study 4 identifies a strategy that offset the disadvantage that utilitarian products face in a 3d printing context, that is, ingredient branding.