In a direct application of ELM to the purchasing context,
Inman et al. [18] have shown that consumers who process
via the high-effort route react to price cuts on the basis of
the magnitude of the savings. For consumers who process
via a low-effort route, however, a promotional signal like a
sale sign is enough to influence their purchase behavior.
Consistent with the latter effect, Lynch and de Chernatony
[19] suggest that emotional cues are more effective for
consumers who do not carefully process information. It is
important to note that a low-effort process does not imply
poor purchasing decisions. As Kahneman [17] argues, system
1 can be “powerful and accurate” if skill has been
acquired through prolonged practice. Because they already
have the necessary skill, consumers do not need to invest
high effort in processing information