Optimizing Handwritten Font Style to Connect With Customers

Abstract

Considerable research has demonstrated the positive effects of handwritten font styles on product attachment and word-of-mouth behavior. However, few studies examined whether these positive effects can be mitigated or even reversed. The purpose of this study is to fill this knowledge gap by identifying several boundary conditions (communal orientation, message type, and hotel type) for the positive effects of handwritten font styles. We conducted two quasi-experimental studies. In Study 1 ( n = 125), the positive effect of handwritten font styles on attitude toward a hotel was not observed among individuals with a low communal orientation. In Study 2 ( n = 245), the handwritten (vs. machine-written) font styles in the sustainability messages of a luxury hotel reduce warmth of the hotel. Hospitality managers should use handwritten font styles carefully depending on hotel type, message type, and customer characteristics.

Do products branded with handwritten scripts suffer more amid product-harm crises?

“…The literature largely verifies the view that consumers hold more favorable attitudes toward brands that use handwritten scripts (Hwang et al, 2022;Izadi and Patrick, 2020;Liu et al, 2019;Schroll et al, 2018;Xiao et al, 2020;Zhu et al, 2022), leaving their negative consequences ignored. This research fills this gap and reveals that when a product-harm crisis occurs, perceptions of humanization caused by handwritten scripts lead to an additional negative effect that is even more detrimental to a brand.…”

“…A brand’s choice of typeface affects readability (Schmid, 1993; Zhu et al , 2022), legibility (McCarthy and Mothersbaugh, 2002), consumer’s perceptions of a brand and consumer memory (Childers and Jass, 2002; Xiao et al , 2020). Fonts can also affect a brand’s personality (Grohmann et al , 2013), brand credibility (van Rompay and Pruyn, 2011) and the consumers’ emotional and cognitive responses to a brand (Childers and Jass, 2002; Hwang et al , 2022). Also, because the visual properties of typefaces evoke unique semantic associations and generate connotative meaning (Childers and Jass, 2002), an appropriately chosen font can increase the effectiveness of advertising (Doyle and Bottomley, 2004).…”

“…To date, the research has tended to focus on the positive effects of handwritten scripts, ignoring the possibility of negative effects (Mackiewicz and Moeller, 2004; Ren et al , 2018; Hwang et al , 2022). Hence, this study is aimed at determining whether using handwritten scripts has a downside, and, in particular, whether the negative effects of a product-harm crisis are exacerbated for brands that use handwritten scripts.…”

Young People Share, But Do So Differently: An Empirical Comparison of Peer-to-Peer Accommodation Consumption Between Millennials and Generation Z

“…The pandemic has dramatically affected and changed almost all aspects of the hospitality and tourism industries, which has also had a deviation impact on academic research (So et al, 2022; Tracey, 2022). Given the pandemic challenges (e.g., health-threatening concerns when sharing space with strangers) and the consequent protection and prevention practices implemented by the industry (e.g., social distancing, masks, and contactless protocols), people have been either forced or volunteered to reduce social interactions (Hwang et al, 2022; Zheng et al, 2021), which could make the social interaction value much less relevant in the current environment.…”

Typography Talks: Influencing Vintage Anemoia and Product Safety Perceptions with Vintage Typography

“…Typeface is less impactful when combined with other ad components (such as a spokesperson). Hwang et al (2022) Handwritten fonts and consumer attitudes Handwritten (vs. machine-written) fonts in sustainability messages for a luxury hotel reduce hotel warmth, but not for consumers with a low communal orientation. Jun and Lee (2022) Interplay of typeface and sound symbolism Audiovisual image congruence between typeface and auditory images in a brand identity increases brand appeal and quality perceptions.…”