The Dark Side of Product Visualization: Negative Effects of Imagery

Many websites allow consumers to upload their own pictures to the site, providing an appealing means for consumers to visualize product benefits. This is helpful in online shopping contexts and for sellers of experience goods. The visualization literature suggests that such product visualization tools should have positive effects. Using imagination while processing product information or advertisements, results in more positive product evaluations and purchase intentions (Babin and Burns 1997; Bone and Ellen 1992; and Escalas 2004; Gregory et al. 1982; Keller and Block 1997; Keller and McGill 1994; Krishnamurthy and Sujan 1999; McGill and Anand 1989). A subjective sense of ease in imagining product benefits also leads to more positive consumer attitudes (Dahl and Hoeffler 2004; Petrova and Cialdini 2005; Zhao, Hoeffler and Dahl 2007). Additionally, the product customization literature shows that customizing enables closer fit with consumer needs (Arora et al. 2008; Franke et al. 2009) and an “I designed it myself” effect (Franke et al. 2010; Moreau and Herd 2010). Product visualization tools that allow product images to be customized to individual consumers might have similar effects. However, we argue that product visualization may have negative effects. Although visually pairing the product with the self can create associative self anchoring (Gawronski et al. 2007), which has been shown to have positive results, evoking the self also invites greater scrutiny. Stimuli that elicit self-consciousness can intensify affective responses (Scheier and Carver 1977; Scheier and Carver 1985). Thus negative responses to an image of the self with the product could transfer to the product, negatively affecting consumer outcomes.