Visualization and New Product Evaluation: The Role of Memory- and Imagination-Focused Visualization

Abstract

In this research, the authors examine the impact of imagination-focused visualization on the evaluation of really new products (RNPs). They compare imagination-focused visualization with memory-focused visualization and demonstrate that focusing on the imaginative aspects of an RNP leads to higher evaluations. Furthermore, they examine the role of perceived ease or difficulty of visualization on the efficacy of imagination-focused visualization. The authors demonstrate that making the imaginative visualization more difficult or easier directly affects the evaluation of the RNP. Finally, the authors show that the effects of the type of visualization strategy and the difficulty of the visualization task have a limited impact on a more incremental product.