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Stylistic property in landscape photos: how perceived vertical positions influence construal level and subsequent destination attitude and visit intention in destination advertising

Stylistic property in landscape photos: how perceived vertical positions influence construal level and subsequent destination attitude and visit intention in destination advertising
Stylistic property in landscape photos: how perceived vertical positions influence construal level and subsequent destination attitude and visit intention in destination advertising
Landscape photos are a common visual communication tool used by marketers to promote their products/services. Nevertheless, the impact of landscape photos on advertising effectiveness has not been fully explored. The present research investigates how the perceived vertical positions, as a prominent stylistic property of landscape photos, influences consumers’ construal level and subsequent attitude and behavioural intention. A quantitative visual content analysis (Study 1) firstly validated that vertical position is the most prevalent stylistic property marketers use in landscape photos, compared with previously confounded visual angle and verticality. Through three experiments, drawn from the theory of mental simulation, construal level theory, and self-concept, this thesis revealed that advertisements using landscape photos featuring a high vertical position (vs. low vertical position) enhance consumers’ construal level (Study 2), and this effect is partially mediated by consumers’ decreased degree of inclusion of the depicted landscape in their self (Study3). Moreover, a quantitative textual content analysis in Study 1 revealed that landscape photos frequently appear in combination with spatial distance cues. Based on this foundation, Study 4 provided managers with applicable insights by adopting the framework of congruence in construal level to explain advertising effectiveness. In the context of destination advertising, landscape photos featuring a high (vs. low) vertical position enhance attitude towards and intention to visit a new destination when consumers have plans to visit a distant (vs. nearby) location (Study 4 (a)). In a similar vein, consumers also show enhanced attitude towards and intention to visit a nearby (vs. distant) destination when it is advertised using landscape photos featuring a low (vs. high) vertical position (Study 4 (b)).
University of Southampton
Chen, Long
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Chen, Long
de6da7d4-cf22-4422-9595-c5d109193076
Chen, Steve
fd7f1d55-ca39-4735-ae81-a2fd2aba0963
Wang, Weisha
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Chen, Long (2024) Stylistic property in landscape photos: how perceived vertical positions influence construal level and subsequent destination attitude and visit intention in destination advertising. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 330pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

Landscape photos are a common visual communication tool used by marketers to promote their products/services. Nevertheless, the impact of landscape photos on advertising effectiveness has not been fully explored. The present research investigates how the perceived vertical positions, as a prominent stylistic property of landscape photos, influences consumers’ construal level and subsequent attitude and behavioural intention. A quantitative visual content analysis (Study 1) firstly validated that vertical position is the most prevalent stylistic property marketers use in landscape photos, compared with previously confounded visual angle and verticality. Through three experiments, drawn from the theory of mental simulation, construal level theory, and self-concept, this thesis revealed that advertisements using landscape photos featuring a high vertical position (vs. low vertical position) enhance consumers’ construal level (Study 2), and this effect is partially mediated by consumers’ decreased degree of inclusion of the depicted landscape in their self (Study3). Moreover, a quantitative textual content analysis in Study 1 revealed that landscape photos frequently appear in combination with spatial distance cues. Based on this foundation, Study 4 provided managers with applicable insights by adopting the framework of congruence in construal level to explain advertising effectiveness. In the context of destination advertising, landscape photos featuring a high (vs. low) vertical position enhance attitude towards and intention to visit a new destination when consumers have plans to visit a distant (vs. nearby) location (Study 4 (a)). In a similar vein, consumers also show enhanced attitude towards and intention to visit a nearby (vs. distant) destination when it is advertised using landscape photos featuring a low (vs. high) vertical position (Study 4 (b)).

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Published date: 2024

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 492534
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/492534
PURE UUID: 5a25345c-4b48-4929-ad96-9e425d9d95a9
ORCID for Long Chen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6647-305X
ORCID for Steve Chen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7548-7234
ORCID for Weisha Wang: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2985-3416

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 31 Jul 2024 16:30
Last modified: 01 Aug 2024 01:57

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Contributors

Author: Long Chen ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Steve Chen ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Weisha Wang ORCID iD

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