When Your Source Is Smiling, Consumers May Automatically Smile with You: Investigating the Source Expressive Display Hypothesis

Abstract

Facial expressions act as a powerful readout device, influencing a viewer's own emotional response. Drawing from facial feedback theory, the mediating role of source expressive display‐based judgments on the influence of source facial expressions on consumer attitudes toward advertising stimuli, attitudes toward endorsed brands, and behavioral intention is examined. In addition, the examination of expressive display‐based judgments as an automatic phenomenon, contingent on the familiarity of the source and the perceived match with the product endorsed is investigated. Across three studies, the facial expression of a source (resting vs. smiling) is manipulated within endorsement contexts. Results demonstrate that when an endorser is pictured in an advertisement with a smiling facial expression, consumers report feeling more pleasant (pleasure), with this positive emotional response mediating the relationship between source expressive display and attitude toward an advertisement, attitude toward a brand, and purchase intention. Results also indicate that the emotional response derived from the presence of a smiling source in an advertisement occurs effortlessly, yet only for a familiar source and one that is perceived to match the product endorsed, indicating this process can be defined as automatic under certain conditions. The findings from these studies provide advertisers with an effective cue to enhance a consumer's emotional response to advertisements, which in turn heighten advertisement, brand, and behavioral based judgments.

A message behind a smile: how facial expression supports communication in marketing

“…The study results of Kulczynski et al (2016) explain that the consumer's feeling of happiness generated by the smiley face expression of the endorser in advertisements can influence consumer evaluation. The referred consumer evaluation is a positive attitude towards advertising, brand, and purchase intentions.…”

“…The research variables were operated by referring to Kulczynski et al (2016). The facial expression variable was manipulated by exhibiting smiley face expression of endorsers in ads for smiling condition, and flat face expression for resting condition.…”

“…SAM is a picture of one's emotions from sad to happy state. Furthermore, attitude towards advertising, attitude towards the brand, and purchase intentions were measured on a semantic differential scale, referring to Kulczynski et al (2016).…”

“…Previous studies show that the smile expression of an ad model will affect the emotional state of the consumer who sees the ad becoming more positive (Baxter et al 2014, Davis & Herr 2014. Recent research of Kulczynski et al (2016) shows that smiley facial expression of an endorser in an advertisement causes consumers who see the ad to feel happier and respond positively. Thus, the first hypothesis is proposed as follows.…”

The cross-cultural impact of the ingenuine smiling celebrity in online advertising

“…Subsequently, these emotions may lead to greater behavioral intentions (Kemp, Bui, and Chapa, 2012). One specific facial expression that elicits positive consumer behaviour is the smile (Kulczynski, Ilicic, and Baxter, 2016). An intriguing feature that has not yet been investigated is the authenticity of the celebrity smile: Does the consumer perceive whether a celebrity is showing a genuine smile (or not)?…”