Could something as simple as displaying a tattoo hurt crowdfunding success? There is increasing interest in understanding how visual cues such as graphics and logos impact the success of crowdfunding campaigns. In a similar vein, scholars have examined how other observable factors such as skin color, gender, and facial expressions might impact crowdfunding performance by allowing mental shortcuts that potential crowdfunding backers often consider when assessing campaigns. Such observable aspects of crowdfunding projects are also notable as they perhaps provide insights into the potential creativity and originality of campaigns.
On one hand, tattoos have historically been associated with individuals holding lower status or otherwise being marginalized in society. For example, tattoos have been commonly associated with society’s masculine ‘outsiders’ such as prisoners, bikers, gang members, and drug users. The Hebrew Bible forbade tattoos with the idea that they were often associated with pagan rituals and self-mutilation. And, many professions such as education and law enforcement often enforced strict bans on visual tattoos during displayed at work.
While such historical biases may emerge when someone reveals their tattoos, it is possible that the presence of tattoos suggests those that bear the ink are potentially more creative. Tattoos provide individuals with an outlet for personal creative expression as tattoos reflect a method for mass cultural expression and identification with others. As social norms evolve, it appears tattoos are now being perceived as an art form rather than a status marking. Like a painter uses a cloth canvas to express their inner-creativity, people may use their bodies to express their inner-creativity as well. And, tattoos are increasingly prevalent in the millennial audience that reflects the majority of crowdfunding supporters.
Research has shown that when entrepreneurs signal creativity in their crowdfunding campaigns via linguistic cues (i.e., analyzing the rhetoric in campaign pitches), they typically experience positive crowdfunding success. We build on such work and argue it is possible for potential campaign backers to assess creativity through alternative visuals cues as well, specifically through the non-verbal cue of tattoo projection. In our recent article published in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights, “Got ink? The impact of tattoo visibility on crowdfunding performance”, we found that entrepreneurs revealing their tattoos on crowdfunding campaigns experience a significant increase in crowdfunding performance. Using 619 real crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter, our results suggest this increase in crowdfunding performance is likely attributed to backers’ perception of the entrepreneur’s or venture’s creativity. Further, our findings suggest that visible tattoo displays can be particularly beneficial for campaigns that are lower in alternative displays of creativity, such as creative language or imaginative writing.
Those who need financial resources to get started with their entrepreneurial ventures should read our full article recently published in the Journal of Business Venturing Insights to see two potential pathways you can take to increase the perception of creativity in your venture and subsequent crowdfunding performance: one pathway for the non-tattooed entrepreneur and another pathway for the tattooed entrepreneur. We find that revealing tattoos can be especially beneficial for crowdfunding campaigns that lack credible signals of creativity (e.g., through linguistic cues). We also find that when campaigns do signal creativity through linguistic cues, entrepreneurs do not continue to reap the financial boost from creativity when revealing their tattoos.
Taking our findings at face-value (e.g., don’t hide tattoos!), our work suggests that entrepreneurs who have and display tattoos can experience improved crowdfunding performance under certain conditions. Our work illustrates how increasingly prevalent visual cues impacts potential crowdfunding backers’ investment decisions and how entrepreneurs can maximize their investment performance using various visual cues they may be covering up. Further, our research suggests the physical characteristics that entrepreneurs display have the potential to positively persuade potential backers similarly, if not more than, the words they choose to use in their crowdfunding campaign.
Read the full paper here.
Authors Bio
Paula Kincaid (paula.kincaid@unt.edu) is a Ph.D. Candidate in Management at the University of North Texas. Her research explores how social roles, impression management strategies, and communication techniques impact individual and organizational performance.
Jeremy Short (jeremy.short@unt.edu) is the G. Brint Ryan Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of North Texas and his research focuses on crowdfunding, social entrepreneurship, role theories, and family business.
Marcus Wolfe (mtwolfe@ou.edu) is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and the Michael F. Price Professor of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development at The University of Oklahoma. His research explores entrepreneurial cognition, decision making, and failure, as well as the potential biological factors that influence entrepreneurial performance.
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