Exploring the impact of inter-text space on consumer reactions in firm-customer communication

• In text-based firm-customer communication, larger inter-text space makes the communicator seem less sincere. • This effect is driven by perceived hollowness of a text. • The effect of inter-text space on sincerity perception is weakened when the text is long. • The effect of inter-text space on sincerity perception is weakened when consumers focus more on the content of a text. • A large inter-text space in communications can lead to unfavorable consumer responses, such as lower satisfaction. Sincerity is crucial to successful firm-customer communication. This research examines the impact of visual cues in text-based firm-customer communications on consumers’ sincerity perception, especially the inter-text space, an essential yet under-researched visual element. Specifically, eight studies demonstrate that large inter-text space in text-based communication decreases the perceived sincerity of the company. This effect is driven by perceived hollowness of a text. Furthermore, the effect of inter-text space on sincerity perception is weakened when a text is very long and when consumers focus their attention on the text content. We further show that a large inter-text space can lead to unfavorable consumer responses, such as a lower intention to forgive service failure or lower satisfaction. The findings of the present work contribute to the research on visual marketing and firm-customer communication and offer a potential strategy for managers to improve firm-customer interactions by utilizing effective visual design in text-based communication.