Fluency of Consumption Imagery and the Backfire Effects of Imagery Appeals

Existing research and widespread commercial usage suggest that appeals urging consumers to imagine the product experience have powerful effects on product preferences. Three studies examined the mediating role of imagery accessibility and demonstrated that the difficulty of imagery generation can reverse thegenerally observed positive effects of imagery appeals. When participants were low in im-agery abilities or when the product was not presented in a vivid way, imagery appeals were not only ineffective but even had a negative effect on product pref-erences. Providing evidence for its subjective nature, this imagery fluency effect was more likely for individuals attuned to their internal experiences. The use of imagery is a widespread practice for influ-encing consumers ’ choices. Television and radio com-mercials induce viewers to immerse themselves in imagined product experiences. Print advertisements include phrases such as “imagine yourself, ” “visualize yourself here, ” and “picture how it would be. ” The existing research indicates that imagery can have powerful effects on product prefer-