Warm me online if you can? The effect of warmth perception in multimodal communication on peer-to-peer booking demand

Purpose This study aims to investigate how multimodal expressions of warmth (pictorial and textual) by hosts in the service and hospitality industry influence listing sales. Specifically, it aims to develop a theory of media warmth by examining the distinct and combined effects of pictorial and textual warmth on consumer behavior. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to integrate both image-based and text-based warmth cues into a unified theoretical framework, uncovering nonlinear and synergistic effects that have not been previously documented. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an empirical analysis coupled with two experiments to assess the impact of pictorial and textual warmth on listing sales. The experiments explore the linear and nonlinear relationships between these modalities and their combined synergistic effects. Findings The study reveals that pictorial warmth has a linear positive effect on listing sales, whereas textual warmth follows an inverted-U pattern. When combined, pictorial and textual warmth demonstrate a positive synergistic effect. Furthermore, slight inconsistencies between warmth expressed through these two media enhance their combined impact, although such inconsistency can diminish the individual effects of each modality. Practical implications Hosts can boost booking demand by strategically balancing pictorial warmth (using warm color palettes) and textual warmth (moderating emotional language), while ensuring general consistency across modalities. Integrating automated warmth-analytics tools and Artifical Intelligence-driven feedback into host dashboards can streamline optimization, reduce cognitive load and enhance platform competitiveness. Originality/value This research contributes to the limited literature on multimodal expressions of warmth in online platforms, particularly within the service and hospitality industry. By pioneering a comprehensive media warmth theory that formally models how pictorial and textual warmth interact and when they conflict or reinforce one another, the study fills a critical gap in understanding emotional communication in peer-to-peer platforms. Hosts and platform designers can leverage these insights to strategically craft and evaluate multimodal content, optimizing listing performance and user engagement.