How powerful a consumer feels about a brand impacts whether he or she is likely to switch brands or try something new, according to a new study.

In experiments, researchers at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University manipulated participants’ sense of power and then measured how interested they were in switching brands.

Looking at situational triggers that make consumers feel more or less powerful may help companies figure out what ways to draw in new customers, the authors noted. For example, starting a call or conversation with, “We know you have the power to select,” companies may have more success.

The authors highlight certain successful campaigns, and “a brand deciding to target other consumers to switch might follow these examples by focusing on the empowered consumer,” the authors concluded.

“Power and Action Orientation: Power as a Catalyst for Consumer Switching Behavior” is scheduled to appear in the Journal of Consumer Research in June 2014