Whilst environments have traditionally been studied from the perspective of their effect on consumers while they are in the space, designers have increasingly focused on designing spaces that look good in photographs. This research shows that carefully curated bright lighting, coloured lighting, and the number of colours all enhance the likelihood of someone capturing and sharing content.

In particular, researchers found that lighting design which illuminates faces and so makes consumers look attractive in photographs can result in more indirect advertising. This explains the phenomenon of ‘bathroom selfies’ where consumers take advantage of lighting designed for applying make-up and checking hair, even though these spaces may lack other prominent experiential design features.

The research findings show:

Environments that use more interactive props, colour, and brightness were associated with greater indirect advertising.
The more colours present in a space, the more likely a space was to inspire indirect advertising.
Styling characteristics that were ‘glitterific’ and ‘over the top’ were found to have positive effects, indicating value in more extreme styling elements and those that subvert visual expectations.
Co-production plays an important role in driving posting content: consumers have a desire to engage interactively in the co-production process, with findings showing that small props, dynamic props, and props that can be entered are all important drivers of indirect advertising.
Environments conveying meaning are less likely to stimulate indirect advertising than those which facilitate self-constructed meaning: it is thought that environments laden with pre-packaged meaning are likely less authentic and hence less likely to be captured and shared as indirect advertising.
Flat ‘Instagram walls’ – i.e., designed flat surfaces with logos emblazoned on them intended for photographs to be taken in front of – may be less important than interactive environments; specifically, ones that can be entered, and may include malleable props and bright but indirect lighting.

Executive MSc Strategic Marketing Info Session - 24 November 2022

At this event

Dr Matteo Montecchi

Event details

Related departments