Does logo complexity impact souvenir authenticity perception? When complex is authentic

ABSTRACT

People crave authenticity in tourism. However, empirical research on the effect of logo design elements on souvenirs’ perceived authenticity has mainly been ignored in the existing literature. We fill this gap by focusing on logo complexity and examining its impact on souvenir authenticity. Across four studies (N = 1037), we demonstrate that complex logos lead to higher perceived authenticity, with the explanatory mechanism behind this being perceived oldness. The consumption type moderates this effect. We find that the impact of logo complexity is mitigated for utilitarian consumption. Our findings contribute to the literature on perceived authenticity and provide practical advice for local souvenir marketers when designing brand logos.

KEYWORDS:

• Souvenirs
• logo complexity
• perceived authenticity
• perceived oldness
• purchase intention

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability

Data will be made available on request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Social Science Fund of China: [Grant Number 20BSH103].