Visual Depiction Effect

What is the Visual Depiction Effect?

The Visual Depiction Effect describes the way in which consumers find something more appealing when they are able to picture themselves using it. Presenting a product to facilitate this effect increases the likelihood that someone will buy it.

In a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2012, Ryan Elder and Aradhna Krishna found that the orientation of a product in advertising images played a significant role in how it was perceived. By positioning a product towards the viewer’s dominant hand, for example, motor responses associated with using the object were stimulated. This effect correlated strongly with an increased desire to purchase the item.

Examples

In order to reduce the cognitive load that visitors experience whilst viewing an item, it is helpful to provide images of it being used. Orienting images in such a way that the viewer pictures themselves using the product exposes them to the Endowment Effect and provides the basis for Self Regulation (in which understand how something will take place increases commitment to the end goal.)

The Visual Depiction Effect in Marketing

Encouraging an audience to picture themselves using a product can be done in a number of ways. Alongside images, copy can also be used to make consumers think about using an object. With more sophisticated forms of image and video media, immersive experiences can enhance the effect.