“This Post Is Sponsored”

Authors Sophie C. Boerman, Lotte M. Willemsen, Eva P. van der Aa
Published in Journal of Interactive Marketing
Publication date 2017
Research groups Human Experience & Media Design
Type Article

Summary

Social media, such as Facebook, offer brands the opportunity to reach their target audience in a less obtrusive way than traditional media, through sponsored posts. Regulations require marketers to explicitly inform consumers about the commercial nature of these posts. This study addresses the effects of sponsorship disclosures by means of a 2 (no disclosure vs. the sponsorship disclosure ‘Sponsored’) × 2 (source: celebrity endorser vs. brand) experiment. Results suggest that a sponsorship disclosure only influences the use of persuasion knowledge when the post is disseminated by a celebrity. Moreover, a disclosure starts a process in which the recognition of advertising (i.e., the activation of conceptual persuasion knowledge) causes consumers to develop distrusting beliefs about the post (i.e., higher attitudinal persuasion knowledge), and in turn, decreases their intention to engage in electronic word of mouth.

Language English
Published in Journal of Interactive Marketing
Year and volume 38 May
Key words sponsorship disclosure, Facebook, electronic word of mouth, celebrity endorsement, persuasion knowledge, social media, advertising
Page range 82-92

Human Experience and Media Design