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

#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

The impact of relational characteristics on consumer responses to word of mouth on social networking sites

Previous research has consistently found an effect of the valence (positive vs. negative) of electronic word of mouth in general and of word of mouth on a social networking site (sWOM) specifically on consumer responses. The current study investigates how interpersonal and person-to-site relational characteristics (homophily, tie strength, and source credibility) moderate this effect on consumer responses to sWOM (behavioral and positive word-of-mouth intention). The results show that interpersonal homophily and source credibility both significantly reinforce the effect of sWOM valence on behavioral intention and positive word-of-mouth intention. Only considering person-to-site relational characteristics as antecedents, (person-to-site) homophily and source credibility reinforce the effect of sWOM valence on behavioral intention and on positive word-of-mouth intention. However, including both the interpersonal and the person-to-site relational characteristics as antecedents results in all person-to-site relational characteristics becoming nonsignificant as moderators. This study advances the sWOM literature by concurrently examining how both interpersonal and person-to site relational characteristics moderate the effect of message valence on sWOM responses. The findings imply that marketers should try to stimulate sWOM from credible sources that are homophilous to the target audience, as these relationships reinforce the positive impact of sWOM valence on behavioral intentions

The impact of relational characteristics on consumer responses to word of mouth on social networking sites

Previous research has consistently found an effect of the valence (positive vs. negative) of electronic word of mouth in general and of word of mouth on a social networking site (sWOM) specifically on consumer responses. The current study investigates how interpersonal and person-to-site relational characteristics (homophily, tie strength, and source credibility) moderate this effect on consumer responses to sWOM (behavioral and positive word-of-mouth intention). The results show that interpersonal homophily and source credibility both significantly reinforce the effect of sWOM valence on behavioral intention and positive word-of-mouth intention. Only considering person-to-site relational characteristics as antecedents, (person-to-site) homophily and source credibility reinforce the effect of sWOM valence on behavioral intention and on positive word-of-mouth intention. However, including both the interpersonal and the person-to-site relational characteristics as antecedents results in all person-to-site relational characteristics becoming nonsignificant as moderators. This study advances the sWOM literature by concurrently examining how both interpersonal and person-to site relational characteristics moderate the effect of message valence on sWOM responses. The findings imply that marketers should try to stimulate sWOM from credible sources that are homophilous to the target audience, as these relationships reinforce the positive impact of sWOM valence on behavioral intentions