How visual attention to social media cues impacts visit intention and liking expectation for restaurants
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 4 April 2022
Issue publication date: 19 May 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how social media (TripAdvisor) content influences restaurant visit intentions and liking expectations, how online review valence affect the viewing behavior of the social media page and which social media elements capture the initial attention of the consumer.
Findings
The pictures posted by firms and opinions posted by users attracted consumers’ attention. However, in the negative valence condition, participants needed to expand upon the content by reading additional (and more detailed) online reviews with specific cues, revisited the content more often and more closely fixated on specific online ratings. Moreover, the picture of the restaurant was the first area seen (reflecting a bottom-up process) and the third-party ad tended to be viewed last (reflecting selective attention).
Research limitations/implications
All social media elements are seen but only some affect decisions, with negatively (vs positively) valenced reviews requiring consideration of an extra element. Of relevance to managers, this study stresses the importance of the pictorial element and the influence of user-generated content on the attention and judgment of consumers.
Originality/value
This study suggests that, to form an opinion, viewers devote more cognitive effort and attention when evaluating restaurants with negatively (vs positively) valenced reviews. However, viewing patterns appear unaffected by review valence. It also demonstrates how consumers pay attention to different social media elements.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This work was supported by Rhumbo Project. European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. Grant agreement number 813234.
Citation
Simonetti, A. and Bigne, E. (2022), "How visual attention to social media cues impacts visit intention and liking expectation for restaurants", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 34 No. 6, pp. 2049-2070. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-09-2021-1091
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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