Gestalt food presentation: Its influence on visual appeal and engagement in the Instagram context

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of gestalt food presentation on photo sharing intention by synthesizing a conceptual framework primarily based on the gestalt and dual coding theories. Study 1 found that gestalt grouping of food (gestalt vs. non-gestalt) influences visual appeal, and Study 2 revealed gestalt shape variation to impact photo sharing intention: females perceived a triangular grouping as more visually appealing than a rectangular grouping. Study 3 demonstrated that color variation in a gestalt is more effective on males, with Instagram caption length moderating the mediating effect of engagement. Study 4, conducted in a tourism-themed Instagram context, determined the interaction between gestalt presentation with human elements (hand-in-frame) and Instagram caption to improve both engagement toward a tourism agency and destination visit intention. This paper provides extensive and novel insights for marketers and academics interested in optimizing visual effects on social media.