The role of well-being in consumer's responses to personalized advertising on social media

In two studies, this paper examines how perceived personalization in advertisements on social media affects brand engagement and ad avoidance. Using a preregistered between-subjects cross-sectional survey (n = 794), we tested four different moderated mediation models with perceived creepiness and perceived relevance as competing mediating variables, and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being as moderating variables. Perceived relevance explains the positive effect of perceived personalization on brand engagement and the negative effect on ad avoidance. Moreover, perceived creepiness explains the negative effect of perceived personalization on ad avoidance. Contrary to our hypotheses, we find positive effects of perceived personalization via perceived creepiness on brand engagement and ad avoidance. Then, a qualitative think-aloud survey (n = 36) shows that participants are accustomed to personalized advertisements and scroll to avoid them unless there is relevant or useful content. Independent of their well-being, participants are not creeped out because of personalized advertising; however, it does raise their privacy concerns. Finally, the findings of our two studies indicate that advertisers and social media need to particularly consider consumers' negative affective well-being to effectively deliver personalized advertisements due to the increase in creepiness and/or privacy concerns.</p

GOING TOO FAR? HOW CONSUMERS RESPOND TO PERSONALIZED ADVERTISING FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

This paper examines the extent to which the level of personalization in advertisements on social networking sites from four online sources affects source attitudes. Based on the privacy-calculus theory, the trade-off between perceived personal relevance and perceived creepiness is tested. We also examine the moderating role of source type. We used a factorial survey by setting up a 3 (level of personalization: low vs. moderate vs. high) x 4 (source type: health vs. governmental vs. commercial vs. news) between-subjects design. We tested a moderated mediation model with perceived creepiness and relevance as competing mediating variables and source type as the moderating variable based on the privacy calculus theory and social exchange theory. The results indicate that perceived creepiness negatively explains personalization perceptions. The tipping point can be found between the low and moderate level: a moderate (vs. low) level of personalization increases perceived creepiness, but high personalization does not increase it further. Contrary to our expectations, perceived relevance does not act as a positive explanatory mechanism. Finally, our findings demonstrate that source type is important: the privacy calculus for each personalization level differs for different online sources.</p

Addressing Grand Challenges in Sustainable Food Transitions:Opportunities Through the Triple Change Strategy

Despite emerging consumer trends and policies promoting sustainable food consumption, the transition towards societal tipping points for sustainable food systems remains protracted due to multifaceted challenges such as consumer misconceptions, value chain inequalities, and policy fragmentation. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that considers all actors within the food system. The present paper follows the paradigm set by the Consumers’ Understanding of Eating Sustainably (CUES) Horizon Europe project and introduces CUES’ Triple Change strategy. This strategy highlights Consumer and Cultural Change, Industrial Change, and Policy Change as interconnected dimensions essential for driving behavioral change and ensuring a successful transition to sustainable food systems. By leveraging persuasive communication and interventions for transparency, fostering value chain reform, and advocating for policy transformations, the Triple Change aims to overcome existing barriers and create opportunities to accelerate the shift towards a resilient food system. This paper explores the grand challenges and opportunities within each of these dimensions and offers a holistic framework for academics, stakeholders, and policymakers to contribute to sustainable food transitions.</p

#ThisIsSustainable: The Effect of Disclosures in Influencer Marketing for Sustainable Food

Sustainable food consumption is seen by many as a significant challenge. Green marketers are trying to combine newer formats of marketing communications, such as influencer marketing, to change consumer’s behaviour to a more environmentally sustainable food choice. Especially, adolescents and young adults have been found to be relevant target groups. In this study, based on persuasion knowledge and reactance theory, we examined the moderating role of disclosures on the effectiveness of food influencer posts, both for sustainable and non-sustainable products. In an online 2 (non-sustainable vs. sustainable food) × 2 (no disclosure vs. disclosure) experiment (N = 332) this study finds that, surprisingly, sustainable food posts are more often recognized as advertising compared to non-sustainable food posts. Nevertheless, a disclosure increases the likelihood that a non-sustainable food post would be recognized as advertising compared to no disclosure. Finally, the recognition of selling intent decreases source credibility and ultimately decreases attitude towards the post and product, as well as liking intention

Perspectives: replication is more than meets the eye

Drawing on recent research and debates in social sciences, this paper situates replication in an advertising research context. We clarify the role of replication in the field and outline the challenges inherent in replication studies in advertising research. We further elaborate on how researchers should engage in replication research to increase the truth value of advertising research while overcoming the obstacles to replication research. Finally, we discuss how advertising scholars, reviewers, and editors can facilitate replication research to reduce the share of false-positive results and accumulate knowledge in the discipline. We see replication as critical in advertising research, given the high variability of experimental factors and the applied nature of the field. Therefore, a better understanding of replications and the challenges of advertising research should inspire scholars to engage in more replication attempts and reviewers and editors to consider it for publication

The role of well-being in consumer's responses to personalized advertising on social media

In two studies, this paper examines how perceived personalization in advertisements on social media affects brand engagement and ad avoidance. Using a preregistered between-subjects cross-sectional survey (n = 794), we tested four different moderated mediation models with perceived creepiness and perceived relevance as competing mediating variables, and hedonic and eudaimonic well-being as moderating variables. Perceived relevance explains the positive effect of perceived personalization on brand engagement and the negative effect on ad avoidance. Moreover, perceived creepiness explains the negative effect of perceived personalization on ad avoidance. Contrary to our hypotheses, we find positive effects of perceived personalization via perceived creepiness on brand engagement and ad avoidance. Then, a qualitative think-aloud survey (n = 36) shows that participants are accustomed to personalized advertisements and scroll to avoid them unless there is relevant or useful content. Independent of their well-being, participants are not creeped out because of personalized advertising; however, it does raise their privacy concerns. Finally, the findings of our two studies indicate that advertisers and social media need to particularly consider consumers' negative affective well-being to effectively deliver personalized advertisements due to the increase in creepiness and/or privacy concerns.</p

How and when personalized advertising leads to brand attitude, click, and WOM intention

We study the effect of perceived personalization in advertising on social networking sites (SNSs) on consumer brand responses. In study 1 (N = 202), we test a parallel mediation via perceived personal relevance and intrusiveness on brand attitude (Ab) and click intention (CI). Perceived personalization improves Ab and CI by increasing the perceived personal relevance and, unexpectedly, by decreasing the perceived intrusiveness of the ad. Study 2 (N = 264) extends the processing mechanism of personalized advertising by additionally including the mediating effects of self-brand connection and reactance toward the ad. Perceived personalization has a positive indirect effect on self-brand connection via perceived personal relevance, but not via perceived intrusiveness. Self-brand connection, in turn, has a positive effect on consumers' responses. Contrary to expectations, reactance does not significantly affect brand responses. Study 2 also examines the moderating role of perceived privacy protection by the SNS. Higher levels of perceived privacy protection by the SNS do not strengthen the indirect effects of perceived personalization

How and when personalized advertising leads to brand attitude, click, and WOM intention

We study the effect of perceived personalization in advertising on social networking sites (SNSs) on consumer brand responses. In study 1 (N = 202), we test a parallel mediation via perceived personal relevance and intrusiveness on brand attitude (Ab) and click intention (CI). Perceived personalization improves Ab and CI by increasing the perceived personal relevance and, unexpectedly, by decreasing the perceived intrusiveness of the ad. Study 2 (N = 264) extends the processing mechanism of personalized advertising by additionally including the mediating effects of self-brand connection and reactance toward the ad. Perceived personalization has a positive indirect effect on self-brand connection via perceived personal relevance, but not via perceived intrusiveness. Self-brand connection, in turn, has a positive effect on consumers' responses. Contrary to expectations, reactance does not significantly affect brand responses. Study 2 also examines the moderating role of perceived privacy protection by the SNS. Higher levels of perceived privacy protection by the SNS do not strengthen the indirect effects of perceived personalization

Don't be so emotional! How tone of voice and service type affect the relationship between message valence and consumer responses to WOM in social media

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the boundary conditions of the effect of the valence of word-of-mouth on social networking sites (sWOM) on consumer responses (attitude toward the service provider, purchase intention and positive word-of-mouth intention). Specifically, the authors examine two moderators: the tone of voice (factual vs emotional) of the sWOM and service type (utilitarian vs hedonic) of the service that the sWOM is about.,A 2 (message valence: positive vs negative) × 2 (tone of voice: factual vs emotional) × 2 (service type: utilitarian vs hedonic) full-factorial between-subjects online experiment with 400 respondents was conducted and the data were analyzed using Hayes' PROCESS macro.,The results show that message valence exerts a greater impact on consumer responses with factual sWOM messages compared to emotional ones. Furthermore, the impact of message valence is stronger for hedonic services compared to utilitarian services. In contrast to the authors' expectations, there is no significant impact of matching the tone of voice to the service type.,First, for sWOM senders, factual messages are found to be more influential: backing an sWOM up with arguments and specific details increases the chance of it affecting consumers' responses. As a result, marketers, especially of predominantly hedonic services, should encourage their followers and customers to spread positive factual sWOM about their service.,The study tests two previously unstudied moderating variables that affect the relationship between message valence and consumer responses to sWOM messages. Moreover, this study provides interesting insights for marketers and bloggers or reviewers