The round start time effect: Start time roundness drives consumers’ willingness to participate

Although marketers are often involved in selecting appropriate start times for their commercial activities, rare research has examined the roundness of start times and explored its marketing implications. This research focuses on more rounded numbers (e.g., 07:00 a.m.) versus less rounded numbers (e.g., 07:10 a.m.) in the time domain, namely round (clock) times, and examines the effect of start time roundness on consumers’ willingness to participate in commercial activities. By conducting a series of field and lab experiments, this research provides converging evidence that consumers are more willing to participate in activities starting at more rounded times (versus less rounded times). We label this effect the round start time effect and find that perceived time affluence (i.e., the perception of having enough time to do things in the activity) mediates the round start time effect. Furthermore, this effect is attenuated when individuals perceive themselves as time-rich. The findings confirm the “round start time effect” in the marketing domain and provide practical guidance on setting start times for commercial activities.