Purpose

This study aims to explore the attraction, influence and persuasive effect of advertising (with or without metaphor) across different types of hotels (luxury vs. budget hotels).

Design/methodology/approach

Two independent variables – namely, the hotel category (luxury versus budget) and the use of rhetorical figures (text with metaphors versus text without metaphors) – serve as the basis for the investigation. The research design is a 2 × 2 within-subjects construct based on eye-tracking methodology complemented by questionnaire-based data collection. Participants were engaged with hotel advertisements under four specific conditions, each reflecting a distinct combination of the two independent variables.

Findings

The findings reveal the augmented attention-grabbing prowess of advertisements that use metaphors compared to those that do not. Furthermore, the study findings reveal that the hotel category significantly influences the efficacy of advertising; advertisements promoting luxury hotels were found to stimulate superior impression recall, garner higher customer affinity and prompt a more potent intention to patronize the hotel. Finally, the study shows that neither congruent nor incongruent pairings of visual (budget or luxury hotel) and verbal elements (with or without metaphor) yield additional advertising benefits.

Practical implications

This research addresses the limited empirical guidance available for hotel operators at various levels regarding the design of advertisements incorporating rhetorical devices. It highlights the potential benefits of using figurative rhetoric, especially metaphors, in advertising for both budget and luxury hotels. The study reveals a notable correlation between hotel category, particularly luxury offerings, and customer attention, retention, preference and intention to visit. Furthermore, it encourages hotel operators, regardless of their hotel’s ranking, to incorporate metaphorical language into their advertising designs, underscoring the need for strategic integration in overall advertisement planning.

Originality/value

Using high-resolution online eye-tracking technology, this study innovatively examines the influence of hotel category and rhetorical devices on the effectiveness and attention-grabbing potential of advertisements. Through this approach, the study seeks to offer valuable managerial and advertising insights for those involved in hotel marketing.

中文翻译：

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不同类型酒店广告的隐喻效果：来自眼球追踪的证据

 目的

本研究旨在探讨不同类型酒店（豪华酒店与经济型酒店）广告（有或没有隐喻）的吸引力、影响力和说服效果。

设计/方法论/途径

两个自变量——即酒店类别（豪华酒店与经济型酒店）和修辞手法的使用（有隐喻的文本与没有隐喻的文本）——作为调查的基础。研究设计是基于眼球追踪方法的 2 × 2 受试者内构造，并辅以基于问卷的数据收集。参与者在四种特定条件下参与酒店广告，每种条件都反映了两个自变量的独特组合。

 发现

研究结果表明，与不使用隐喻的广告相比，使用隐喻的广告更能吸引注意力。此外，研究结果表明，酒店类别显着影响广告效果；研究发现，宣传豪华酒店的广告可以激发更好的印象回忆，获得更高的客户亲和力，并激发更强烈的光顾酒店的意愿。最后，研究表明，视觉元素（经济型酒店或豪华酒店）和语言元素（有或没有隐喻）的一致或不一致配对都不会产生额外的广告效益。

 实际影响

本研究解决了各级酒店经营者在设计包含修辞手段的广告时可获得的有限经验指导。它强调了在经济型酒店和豪华酒店广告中使用比喻修辞（尤其是隐喻）的潜在好处。该研究揭示了酒店类别（尤其是豪华酒店类别）与客户关注度、保留率、偏好和访问意向之间存在显着相关性。此外，它还鼓励酒店经营者，无论其酒店排名如何，将隐喻语言融入其广告设计中，强调了整体广告规划中战略整合的必要性。

 原创性/价值

本研究利用高分辨率在线眼动追踪技术，创新性地考察了酒店类别和修辞手段对广告效果和吸引注意力潜力的影响。通过这种方法，该研究旨在为酒店营销人员提供有价值的管理和广告见解。