Visual rhetoric within customer reviews and its effects in online apparel rental services: The role of regulatory focus and consumer motivations

This study delves into how contextual backgrounds in customer photo reviews shape consumer product evaluations and their intention to subscribe to online apparel rental services. Leveraging theories of visual rhetoric and mental imagery, we examine these effects through two experimental studies. Study 1 focuses on the effect of visual rhetorical backgrounds on product evaluations and subscription intentions through mental imagery simulation and then through their perception of review helpfulness. In Study 2, we extend our examination by incorporating regulatory-focused messages (promotion vs. prevention) alongside participants’ rental motivations (hedonic vs. sustainable), assessing their moderating roles. Our findings reveal that visual rhetorical backgrounds significantly enhance product evaluation and subscription intention by fostering mental imagery simulation and enhancing perceived review helpfulness. Furthermore, we unveil a three-way interaction between visual rhetoric, regulatory focus, and rental motivation that influences product evaluation. Our study contributes to the literature by highlighting the pivotal role of visual cues in consumer perception and decision-making processes. It introduces a comprehensive framework that combines visual rhetoric with mental imagery considerations for marketing strategies in the context of online apparel rental services. Additionally, our findings offer practical insights for marketers to leverage user-generated content to attract prospective customers.