Consumer Behavior Analysis: The Role of Mental Imagery in Marketing

This report delves into the realm of consumer behavior, specifically examining the influence of mental imagery on purchasing decisions. The research explores how visual representations, such as dynamic iconography and color, affect consumer choices. The study by Elder et al. (2017) is a central point of reference, which investigates the interplay between sensory imagery and psychological distance. The report highlights that consumers' perceptions of product qualities like durability and convenience are influenced by the color and sensory models used by brands. The research also suggests that advertising strategies, including the use of animation and brand color selection, can significantly impact consumer behavior. Ultimately, the report recommends that brands should carefully consider the visual imagery they create, as it directly affects consumer attitudes and purchase decisions. The research emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer behavior to create effective marketing and advertising strategies.

Consumer Behaviors
An Academic Research on Consumer Behavior

Introduction
• Consumer behavior refers to the decision making process and activity
that persons involves in when buying, evaluating and discarding
products.
• The article by Elder, Schlosser, Poor & Xu, (2017) has been selected for
this paper
• The article views mental imagery is the visual representation of of
objects in mind without environmental input

Findings
• Firstly, research on dynamic iconography using traffic icons focused on
their effects on on human behavior to act, reaction time and
attention.
• Secondly, experiments on the effects of color value on product
qualities such as durability and convinience for use (Lee, Fujita, Deng
& Unnava, 2017).
• Thirdly, through experiments it was hypothesized that closer sensory
models results in higher attention to physically close experiences,
whereas distant sensory models results in higher attention to
physically distant experiences (Ostinelli, Luna & Ringberg, 2014)

Recommendations
• The research on mental imagery and its effects on customer’s behavior is
significant in success of businesses in the real world.
• It is a major breakthrough in field of marketing since it outlines the exact
factors that guides the customers to purchase, use and dispose goods and
services.
• Therefore, brand producers and advertisers should come up with the right
color shades as its visual imagery as perceived by customers has an effect on
its qualities such as durability and convenience .
• This would help them in planning on the number of items to produce in each
color, since dark colors elicits attitude of durability while light colors elicits a
perception of conviniency (Strack & Deutsch, 2006)

Conclusion
• In advertisement and promotion, the use of dynamic iconography
such as animation will be greatly improved since the interpretation
and perception of logos by customers also affects their decision
making on whether or not to purchase a product.
• The right selection of brands color elicits perceptions such as trust,
security, urgency, and relaxation which influences customers to accept
the brand, hence effective advertisement.

References
Elder, R. S., Schlosser, A. E., Poor, M., & Xu, L. (2017). So Close I Can Almost Sense It: The Interplay
between Sensory Imagery and Psychological Distance. Journal of Consumer Research, 44(4), 877-894.
Lao, A. (2013). Mental imagery and its determinants as factors of consumers emotional and
behavioural responses: Situation analysis in online shopping. Recherche et Applications en Marketing
(English Edition), 28(3), 58-81.
Lee, H., Fujita, K., Deng, X., & Unnava, H. R. (2017). The role of temporal distance on the color of
future-directed imagery: A construal-level perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(5), 707-725
Ostinelli, M., Luna, D., & Ringberg, T. (2014). When up brings you down: The effects of imagined
vertical movements on motivation, performance, and consumer behavior. Journal of Consumer
Psychology, 24(2), 271-283.
Strack, F., & Deutsch, R. (2006). Reflective and impulsive determinants of consumer behavior.
Argyriou, E. (2012). Consumer intentions to revisit online retailers: A mental imagery
account. Psychology & Marketing, 29(1), 25-35.