Photo vs. art? The design of consumption guidance in cultural food consumption

Drawing on mental simulation theory, this research examines the impact of consumption guidance and, in particular, the use of visual illustration in the design of consumption guidance on consumers' evaluations of cultural food consumption. Through two consecutive studies, our research shows that photo (vs. art) illustration more effectively boosts consumers' perceived food attractiveness and future purchase intention for cultural food consumption. The advantage of photo (vs. art) illustration is also moderated by ritual practice and consumers' cosmopolitanism, as well as consumption guidance format. Moreover, we demonstrate that cognitively engaged mental simulation is the psychological mechanism underlying the conditional impact of photo (vs. art) illustration on consumers' evaluations. These findings offer notable implications for theory and practice and present promising avenues for future research.