Gestures and postures as influencers in the conversion funnel

Abstract

Fashion clothing brands targeting young people have chosen to show models in postures that challenge the natural position of the body in their advertising. Prevalence of this communication strategy across different internationally known brands implies the existence of a positive impact on consumer behavior. The present work aim to assess such an effect by evaluating the gestures shown in the advertising of fashion clothing in digital media during the purchase process. Opinions and attitudes of consumers are assessed during the phases of the conversion funnel. Through digital surveys, consumers were exposed to photographs of fashionable clothing where models showed either a conventional or unconventional posture to later evaluate their desire to explore or buy the advertised clothing. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and Chi Square tests to test for means’ differences. Results show that unconventional body position, hand position and facial gestures are effective mainly in the upper stages of the funnel, while conventional postures increase the purchase intentions.