Post, Eat, Change: The Effects of Posting Food Photos on Consumers' Dining Experiences and Brand Evaluation

Jiang Zhu, Lan Jiang, Wenyu Dou and Liang Liang

Journal of Interactive Marketing, 2019, vol. 46, issue C, 101-112

Abstract: Although posting food photos has become a pervasive phenomenon on social media platforms and has significant marketing implications for restaurants, there is not much evidence concerning why this practice has such implications. Building on research into self-expression and social influence, we hypothesize that posting food photos serves as a form of self-expression, which in turn leads to an enhanced dining experience. A field study, a laboratory experiment, and archival data from a popular Chinese social media platform provide support for our hypotheses. Specifically, Study 1 indicates that posting photos of food enhances consumers' dining experiences and leads to positive evaluations of restaurants. Study 2 identifies self-expression as the underlying mechanism and tests the moderating role of supportive interactions. Study 3 is a follow-up investigation into the real-time interactions examined in Study 2, using archival data from a popular social media platform.

Keywords: Posting food photos; Social media; Self-expression; Supportive interaction; Dining experience; Brand evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joinma:v:46:y:2019:i:c:p:101-112

DOI: 10.1016/j.intmar.2018.10.002

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