Surprise me with the visual representation of the brand in social commerce! An eye-tracking study based on user characteristics

Purpose - This study examines the role of logotypes in advertising effectiveness on s-commerce platforms by analyzing the visual attention paid by the consumer to fashion branding – wordmarks or combination marks – and their subsequent recall. Design/methodology/approach - The study examines the main areas of visual representation of the brand (VRB) on the Instagram network and the user’s corresponding areas of interest on a mobile-device screen. Attention and recall of the VRB are assessed in light of different classification variables (users’ gender, age and level of experience in s-commerce tools) to better understand how VRB may be leveraged by fashion retailers to encourage purchasing behavior. To achieve this objective, a mixed experiment design based on the eye-tracking methodology and a self-administered questionnaire is carried out. Findings - The results indicate that visual attention, gender, age and s-commerce experience all contribute to determining users’ recall of the brand logo to which they are exposed on-screen. By considering the different s-commerce user profiles that exhibit different visualization behaviors, fashion retailers will be better placed to improve their online advertising campaigns and, ultimately, increase brand sales. The findings also point to promising future research directions on the effectiveness of branding strategies. Originality/value - This highly innovative study provides in-depth insights into advertising effectiveness in terms of attention and recall, according to the main types of VRB for two specific s-commerce tools used by a high-street fashion brand, namely, its profile on Instagram Shop and its profile on Instagram Stories.