Silva, Susana Cristina Lima da Costa eFerreira, Filipe Jorge Tavares Pessoa Príncipe2015-03-162015-03-162014-07-232014http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/16933Southern European Countries have been hit by a crisis which has implied deep and fast mutations of the social and economical reality surrounding consumers. Therefore, the consumer himself has changed his vision, behavior, habits, values and beliefs towards the external environment. Thus, it is of crucial importance for companies’ marketing to understand and respond to the crisis correctly, not only focusing on the reorganization of the structural costs most are conducting, but also in the modifications on consumers’ attitude. This article allows us to understand more deeply the new consumer and how guilty appeals can reply in fulfilling their necessities. More precisely, it will focus on and discuss the use of financial guilt during crisis periods and how companies can take advantage of it. For this purpose, the results of an international research in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece will be discussed.engConsumer guiltFinancial guiltGuilt appealsState of guiltFocus of guiltPurchase decision guiltConsumer behaviorCrisisSouthern Europemaster thesis201496348