"Aesthetic and Poetic"or"Rustic and Authentic"?The Impact of Poverty Alleviation Communication Styles on the Perception of Agricultural Product Quality
With the popularization of mobile Internet and changes in information dissemination methods,short video platforms such as TikTok and Kwai,have become an important medium for poverty alleviation agricultural product consumption communication.The new media have gradually formed many kinds of communication styles by publicizing the production and lifestyle of poor areas and local special agricultural products,among which the most promi-nent are the"aesthetic and poetic"communication style represented by Li Ziqi and"rustic and authentic"communication style repre-sented by Zhang Tongxue.According to the cue utilization theory,the communication of the current production and living conditions in poor areas will provide consumers with specific contextual cues about product quality,thereby influencing their perceptions of the quality of local agricultural products.Product quality is one of the most critical factors influencing consumers'purchase decisions and directly impacts farmers'income and poverty alleviation.This research,based on lay theory and cue utilization theory,investi-gates the impact of different poverty alleviation communication styles(aesthetic and poetic vs.rustic and authentic)on consumers'perceptions of agricultural product quality.It also examines the moderating effects of recipients'attitudes towards poverty allevia-tion(self-reliance vs.seeking-help)and consumers'focus(charitable value vs.functional value).The findings reveal the mechanisms of different types of poverty alleviation communication styles in the new media era influencing the perception of agricultural product quality.A total of four studies were conducted for this paper,including one field study,two online experiments,and one scenario experiment.Study 1,through a field study of sampling of agricultural products,demonstrates significant differences in respondents'willingness to taste under different communication styles.Additionally,Study 1 includes a neutral communication style for the poor areas to further validate the main effect.Study 2 confirms the mediating mecha-nism of mental imagery while ruling out empathy as an alternative explanation,thereby enhancing the internal validity of the findings.Study 3 employs a scenario experiment to verify the moderating effect of recipients'attitudes towards poverty alleviation in the re-lationship between the influences of communication styles on the perceptions of agricultural product quality.Study 4 examines the moderating effect of the consumers'focus on of poverty alleviation product(charitable value vs.functional value)in the interaction be-tween communication styles and recipients'attitudes on the percep-tion of agricultural product quality.The research findings reveal that:(1)Different communication styles significantly influence the perceived quality of poverty alle-viation agricultural products;the aesthetic and poetic communica-tion style enhances consumers'perception of agricultural product quality,while the rustic and authentic communication style has the opposite effect.(2)Mental imagery mediates the influence of differ-ent communication styles on the perceived quality of poverty allevi-ation agricultural products.(3)Recipients'attitudes towards poverty alleviation and consumers'focus on the value of agricultural prod-ucts moderate the effect of communication styles on the perception of agricultural product quality.A self-reliance attitude enhances the positive impact of the aesthetic and poetic communication style on the perception of agricultural product quality,while weakening the negative impact of the rustic and authentic communication style.Conversely,a seeking-help attitude diminishes the positive impact of the aesthetic and poetic communication style and exacerbates the negative impact of the rustic and authentic communication style on the perception of agricultural product quality.(4)Consumers'focus studies indicate that when consumers prioritize the functional value of products,pairing the aesthetic and poetic communication style with a self-reliance attitude towards poverty alleviation strengthens consumers'positive perception of poverty alleviation agricultural product quality.Conversely,pairing the rustic and authentic com-munication style with a seeking-help attitude towards poverty alle-viation reinforces consumers'negative perception of poverty allevi-ation agricultural product quality.While,if consumers prioritize the charitable value of products,they are more will be more inclined to realize the purpose of helping farmers by consuming products and services from poor areas,correspondingly weakening their require-ments for product quality,leading to a decrease in both positive and negative perceptions of product quality.The current research makes important theoretical contributions and practical implications.Firstly,this research focuses on the perspec-tive of the mechanism of consumers'perception of poverty allevia-tion agricultural product quality,and this shift in perspective helps to identify the crucial antecedent factors for market acceptance of such products.Secondly,it conducts a comparative study on the dissemination effects of two distinct poverty alleviation commu-nication styles widely prevalent on new media platforms,thereby enriching the research on marketing communication effectiveness.Furthermore,this paper verifies that the underlying mechanism through which poverty alleviation communication styles affect the perception of agricultural product quality is mental imagery,distinct from the motivation mechanisms established in literature based on a charitable perspective.Finally,unlike prior studies that primarily emphasize poverty alleviation labels or channels from so-cial-political and welfare perspectives on the perception of poverty alleviation agricultural product quality,this research,from the per-spective of poverty alleviation agricultural products marketization,reveals the moderating mechanism of poverty alleviation attitudes by poverty alleviation communication styles on the perception of agricultural product quality,thereby expanding the new dimensions of sustainable development through consumption-driven poverty alleviation.This research also has important practical implications.This research provides operational suggestions for governments and non-profit organizations in shaping poverty alleviation communica-tion styles,enhancing consumer perceptions of agricultural product quality,and ultimately establishing sustainable targeted poverty alleviation mechanisms.Firstly,sustainable development of con-sumption-driven poverty alleviation must prioritize consumers'per-ception of product quality rather than merely focusing on purchase intentions.When promoting poverty alleviation agricultural prod-ucts,the new media should try to minimize conveying information that elicits sympathy for poor areas characterized by barrenness,backwardness,and primitiveness,which may interfere with percep-tions of product quality.Instead,emphasis should be placed on en-hancing the aesthetic and poetic imagery,which aids in establishing a high-quality image for poverty alleviation agricultural products.Secondly,effective poverty alleviation measures hinges on em-powering impoverished farmers to achieve prosperity through their own initiative,employing an"empowerment through education and support"approach.Finally,media strategies for poverty alleviation should move away from relying on charitable donation models that capitalize on public sympathy,emphasizing instead the long-term effects of poverty alleviation and wealth creation driven by market mechanisms.Governments should facilitate consumption-driven poverty alleviation by establishing incentive and regulatory mecha-nisms,guiding market participants towards standardized and order-ly participation rather than spontaneous growth.
Poverty Alleviation Communication StylesPerception of Agricultural Product QualityLay TheoryMental Imagery
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