Order matters: effect of use versus outreach order disclosure on persuasiveness of sponsored posts

作者：Jin Zhang, Xinmai Li, Banggang Wu, Liying Zhou, Xiang Chen · 发表于：Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1108/jrim-06-2022-0189 · 被引用次数：28 · 研究领域：Digital Marketing and Social Media、Impact of Technology on Adolescents、Digital Communication and Language

Purpose A critical step in influencer marketing is influencer outreach, where a brand reaches out to an influencer and forms a partnership. Yet little is known about how factors related to this process might influence the outcomes of sponsored posts. To address this gap, the authors investigated whether, how and when the order of influencers' product use and brand outreach (i.e. use/outreach order) affects post persuasiveness. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted three experimental studies. Studies 1 and 2 examined the effect of disclosure type (use-first, outreach-later vs. outreach-first, use-later vs. no disclosure) on consumers' responses to the post. Study 3 investigated the moderating effects of compensation disclosure type. Findings The results revealed that when the influencer used the product before (vs. after) being contacted by the brand, consumers had more favorable attitudes about the product and greater purchase intention upon reading the sponsored posts; perceived information diagnosticity mediated this effect. However, this tendency was mitigated if the influencer disclosed the specific monetary payment from the brand. Originality/value This research advances understanding of sponsorship disclosure and provides a way to manage its impact on message persuasiveness.