The Impact of Model Pose on Consumer Perceptions of Price: A Perceived-Power Perspective

Abstract

This study examines how a model's pose that signals power influences consumers' recall ability of price information in advertisements. To extend prior findings on social judgments, we suggest that the direction of consumers' gaze and willingness to pay attention to the model vary depending on the model's pose. Study 1 explores how consumers' perception of the power of the model affects their price recall ability. In particular, consumers demonstrate better price recall for items displayed at the bottom of the ad when the model adopts a powerful pose and items displayed at the top when the model in the ad assumes a submissive pose. Study 2 investigates the influence of the perceived power of a model's pose on price recall depending on the visibility of the model's face and reveals that consumers demonstrate better price recall for items displayed at the top when the model's face is not visible even when the model adopts a powerful pose. Ultimately, this research provides new insights to help marketers identify ideal locations for displaying price information in ads. More theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Keywords

• power pose
• gaze aversion
• price recall
• visual merchandising
• advertising