This study examines the impact of misleading photos on consumer’s regret, distrust, and anger, leading to negative word-of-mouth communication. Using a scenario-based experimental design, data were collected from 259 participants via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). The study further examines these interrelationships across leisure and business traveller groups as well as misleading photos posted on hotel’s official website or user-generated content (UGC). Findings reveal significant relationships between misleading photos and negative emotional responses, including regret, distrust, and anger. These emotions, in turn, affect negative word-of-mouth communication, with regret and anger being significant predictors. The multigroup analysis further identifies differences in emotional responses between leisure and business travelers, emphasizing the need for segment-specific marketing strategies. The study's implications highlight the importance of authenticity and transparency in visual marketing to enhance consumer satisfaction and loyalty while minimizing negative emotional responses. The study offers practical insights for hospitality businesses aiming to improve customer experiences and relationships.

中文翻译：

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眼见为实：探索误导性照片对酒店业消费者反应的影响


本研究考察了误导性照片对消费者后悔、不信任和愤怒的影响，从而导致负面的口碑传播。使用基于场景的实验设计，通过 Amazon Mechanical Turk （MTurk） 从 259 名参与者那里收集了数据。该研究进一步研究了休闲和商务旅客群体之间的这些相互关系，以及酒店官方网站上发布的误导性照片或用户生成的内容 （UGC）。研究结果揭示了误导性照片与负面情绪反应（包括遗憾、不信任和愤怒）之间的重要关系。这些情绪反过来又会影响负面的口碑传播，遗憾和愤怒是重要的预测因素。多组分析进一步确定了休闲旅客和商务旅客之间情绪反应的差异，强调了针对特定细分市场的营销策略的必要性。该研究的意义凸显了视觉营销中真实性和透明度的重要性，以提高消费者的满意度和忠诚度，同时最大限度地减少负面情绪反应。该研究为旨在改善客户体验和关系的酒店企业提供了实用的见解。