Social media influencers – such as the ‘Instafamous’ – are required to disclose any commercial relationship. To achieve transparency, Instagram has introduced a standardized disclosure (‘Paid ...partnership with brand’). This study examined whether this disclosure effectively raises ad recognition, and how this consequently affects consumers' responses to the message, influencer, and brand. Additionally, the effects of the disclosure were compared between micro- (<10,000 followers) and meso- (10,000–1 million followers) influencers. Results of an online experiment (N = 192) with a 2 (no disclosure vs. standardized disclosure) x 2 (micro-vs. meso-influencer) between subjects design showed that the disclosure did achieve its goal of increasing ad recognition. Furthermore, the disclosure positively affected brand recall and intentions to engage with the post, via ad recognition. The parasocial interaction with the influencer was not affected. Moreover, influencer type did not moderate the effect of the disclosure and did not affect people's responses to the message, influencer, or brand.
•The standardized Instagram disclosure helps users to recognize influencer marketing.•Disclosure indirectly increases brand recall and intentions to engage with the post.•The disclosure does not damage the parasocial interaction with the influencer.•Responses and effects did not differ between micro- and meso-influencers.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Previous research assumes that consumers can detect and discount the manipulation of online product reviews or are oblivious to such practices. We posit that the equilibrium occurs due to the cues of ...manipulation, consumer suspicion and their expertise. Our analysis of hotel occupancy data shows that the effect of adding positive reviews and deleting negative reviews on sales exhibits an inverted U-curve. Moreover, weak brands suffer more from excessive adding. Our laboratory experiments find that adding affects consumer purchase intention, but it also arouses suspicion, which exerts a negative mediating effect. Deleting is more disguised and difficult to be suspected. Novices are more influenced by manipulations compared with their experienced counterparts. Thus, contrary to the popular belief of “fake it until you make it,” excessive adding leads to consumer distrust and may backfire. Deleting exacerbates information asymmetry and results in adverse selection, thus warrants restraint and regulation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Despite widespread discussion of the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on consumer perceptions, little research has examined how consumers cope with CSR-based crisis response ...messages as a bolstering strategy. To fill this gap, we propose a framework integrating situational crisis communication theory with the persuasion knowledge model, applying the model to an experiment with a 2 (topic knowledge - crisis type: accidental vs. intentional) × 2 (persuasion knowledge- CSR motives: intrinsic vs. extrinsic) × 2 (agent knowledge- CSR history: long vs. short) between-subjects factorial design. In Study 1, we found interaction effects between CSR motives and crisis type on word-of-mouth intention and purchase intention. In addition, inferences about CSR motives interacted with perceptions about CSR history on purchase intention. In Study 2, we replicated study 1 and found that crisis responsibility mediated the main effect of crisis type on behavioral intentions, but neither the main effect of CSR motives and CSR history nor the interactions effects among those variables were mediated by crisis responsibility. Our results indicate that consumer inferences from a company's CSR-based crisis communications play a significant role in increasing consumer behavioral intentions in two situations: when a crisis is accidental and when a CSR history is short. Ethical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Watching online videos is becoming an important part of children's media diets. Children particularly like content that is specifically created for YouTube by YouTube personalities. Because these ...personalities have a large reach and are considered likeable and credible, they have become social media influencers. For advertisers, these influencers are an interesting channel to reach youth. Therefore, influencers often embed persuasive sponsored messages in their videos to earn money. However, there are concerns about this practice because it is not always clear when a video includes advertising. Therefore, in several countries, guidelines have been developed that state that sponsoring in influencer videos should be disclosed as such. Until now, little is known about the effects of disclosures for influencer videos on children and the boundary conditions for such effects. Therefore, we investigated the effects of a disclosure of sponsored influencer videos on children's advertising literacy. Additionally, we examined the consequences of the disclosure for children's responses to the brand, advertised product, and video. We also included the para-social relationship (PSR) that children experience with an influencer as a possible boundary condition for disclosure effects on persuasion. Our experiment amongst children between 8 and 12 years old showed that, when children correctly recalled the disclosure, the disclosure increased their recognition of advertising, and understanding of selling and persuasive intent. Moreover, advertising literacy evoked by the disclosure affected persuasion: The disclosure enhanced brand memory through ad recognition, but also decreased advertised product desire through understanding the selling intent of the video. Furthermore, the PSR of children with the influencer proved to be a boundary condition for disclosure effects on brand attitudes. Only for those children who experienced moderate to low PSRs with the influencer, the disclosure resulted in less positive brand attitudes through understanding selling intent. For children who experienced a strong PSR with the influencer, the understanding that the content had a selling intent did not affect their brand attitudes. These findings show that a disclosure (if noticed and remembered) can be an effective tool to achieve transparency, but also influences the persuasive outcomes of influencer marketing in online videos.
Since the introduction of the persuasion knowledge model more than 25 years ago, many research studies have investigated how consumers’ persuasion knowledge affects their reactions to persuasion ...attempts. While most results have shown that persuasion knowledge increases coping responses and leads to less favorable evaluations of marketer actions, the findings vary considerably, leaving researchers with a limited understanding of the substance and structure of persuasion knowledge effects and the conditions that explain their variability. To develop a better understanding of persuasion knowledge effects in the marketplace, this study builds on the concept of persuasion to predict responses to marketers’ attempts to persuade consumers with different levels of persuasion knowledge. The study presents a meta‐analysis of the findings in 148 papers and 171 distinct data sets. Persuasion knowledge effects can be viewed as substantial compared with persuasion attempts, but persuasion knowledge cannot suppress or eliminate persuasion effects in the marketplace, as it only reaches around 50% of the explanatory power of persuasion. Persuasion knowledge effects on evaluations and coping depend on the characteristics of the persuasion process. All persuasion elements that help consumers identify and better understand benefits not just for themselves, but also for marketers and how marketers realize their benefits—such as the use of personal communication, communication about unfamiliar products or products with experience attributes, and receiver experience—lead to less favorable effects for marketers. This paper’s insights provide a new framework for persuasion knowledge effects in the marketplace, ideas for future research, and implications for researchers, consumers, policymakers, and marketers.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
On Facebook, companies not only actively spread branded content themselves, they also encourage users to do so. Hence, persuasive messages blend into the stream of content, making it increasingly ...difficult for users to identify and cope with this covert advertising content. In an experimental study, we confronted users to disclosed advertisements; brand; and user-generated posts allowing us to discern effects on persuasion knowledge, affective reaction and, in turn, purchase intention. Furthermore, we manipulated viewer's attention to the posts. In line with the Persuasion Knowledge Model, we found that user-generated content did not trigger persuasion knowledge and a subsequent negative affect. Thus, user-generated content led to higher purchase intention compared to disclosed advertisement and brand posts. Surprisingly, participants' heightened attention decreased their negative affective reaction towards the advertisement post compared to the brand post. We conclude that policy makers should consider employing advertising disclosures for user-generated content.
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BFBNIB, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Social media influencers are on a daily basis conveying their opinion regarding products and brands through social media postings. Many of these posts are sponsored by a brand, while others are in ...the form of genuine advice. Influencers might choose to add a disclosure (“this is not sponsored content”) in non-sponsored product posts that highlight their impartiality. This information ought to affect how consumers respond to the post. In two experiments, we examine how emphasizing impartiality in influencer product posts affect consumers' response by applying a 3 (disclosure type: impartial vs. explicit sponsorship vs. no disclosure) factorial-design. In the second experiment, we further examine how disclosure type and landing page type (e-commerce product page vs. start page) from brand hyperlinks in the influencer post, interact to form consumer brand attitudes and purchase intentions. The findings reveal that impartiality product posts are less likely to be perceived as advertising compared to sponsored product posts or posts without sponsorship information, and therefore generate higher source and message credibility. Additionally, participants’ brand attitude and purchase intention are reduced when they are directed to a product page instead of a start page when being simultaneously exposed to an impartiality disclosure.
•This study explores the effects of impartiality in product reviews by social media influencers.•It also explores how combinations of disclosures and brand hyperlink content affect consumers.•Impartiality disclosures are less likely to be perceived as ads than sponsorship disclosures.•Impartiality disclosures thereby generate higher source and message credibility.•Higher publicity effectiveness from impartiality disclosures and web-shop start page links.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This article examines the influence of a job recruitment advertisement personalized with a recipient's name and photograph on the visual attention to the advertisement, the attitudes toward the ...advertisement and, ultimately, job-pursuit intentions. Perceived ad intrusiveness and attitudinal persuasion knowledge may function as parallel mediators of visual attention and attitude toward the advertisement, with personal privacy concerns as a moderator of this relationship. In a between-subjects eye-tracking experiment, 72 participants view an advertisement on LinkedIn that is either personalized or not personalized. Although the participants fixate on the personalized advertisement more frequently and view it longer, they do not notice it faster or return to it more frequently. Furthermore, enhanced visual attention augments perceived intrusiveness, regardless of participants' levels of privacy concern, and decreases attitudinal persuasion knowledge for those who are less concerned about privacy.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
A growing body of research has shown that while computers can effectively detect fake reviews, humans are no more accurate than chance. Since consumers strongly trust online reviews, and fake reviews ...are pervasive, they often make suboptimal choices. However, whether consumers can learn to detect fake reviews and whether this knowledge would help them make better-informed decisions remain open questions. We propose that learning four distinctive features of fake reviews (one-sidedness, exaggeration, personal selling style, and generic descriptions) affects consumers’ trustworthiness in them and their perceived favorability, thus affecting their purchase intentions toward the target product. Five studies support our theoretical model. We also show that one-sidedness is the most discriminating among the four features and that simply activating consumers’ current knowledge is not enough to protect them from fake reviews.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Corporates often partner with social media influencers to bolster brand image after crises. Although existing evidence suggests that influencers have largely positive effects on brands, there is ...paucity of research on the role of influencers in corporate crisis communications. Across two studies, we examine the impact of influencers on consumers’ perception of corporate brands responding to crises. Drawing on persuasion knowledge theory, we identify issues associated with brands engaging influencers, such as inference of manipulative intent, which negatively affects perceived trustworthiness and corporate reputation. The downside of employing influencers in crisis communications is, however, offset by the influencer and brand communicating values-driven motives of their partnership. Our findings imply that corporate brands should respond to crises through a bolstering strategy promoting existing corporate goodwill, without the influencer’s involvement. When leveraging influencers’ support, however, brands should endeavor to inoculate against manipulative inferences by communicating values-driven motives behind the brand-influencer partnership.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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