Sensory imagery in advertising: How the senses affect perceived product design and consumer attitude

Research in sensory marketing provides evidence for the significant potential of sensory imagery to create sensory consumer experiences. Particularly in the context of food and beverage advertising, the targeted appeal of the senses through sensory imagery appears to be promising. However, research gaps remain concerning the concrete effect sizes of sensory appeals and possible mediators such as perceived product design. This paper aims to close these gaps by focusing on two different research issues. First, it investigates the effects of sensory imagery on marketing-related key performance indicators (i.e., sensory perception, perceived product design, and attitude) using analysis of variance. Further, the paper examines underlying causal relationships between these potential market success factors by applying partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings support the usefulness of sensory imagery in advertisements, as it appears to be a valuable approach to address specific senses and to positively affect consumer perception. Moreover, the results reveal a causal chain of several direct and indirect effects between relevant performance indicators. Implications for marketing managers can be derived from this research on how to design powerful advertisements and effectively appeal to all five human senses by relying on sensory imagery.