73 within the social advertisement. Examples of strategies are informational, humoral, and emotional (Lawrence et al., 2013). Next, an important part of user-generated social advertising that this research did not focus on is the perceived level of trust. It is said that consumer-generated advertisements are trusted more than brand-consumer-generated, but does this influence the internal psychological process and decision-making of the consumer? On a broader note, it is encouraged that researchers expand the knowledge about social commerce further and test other social commerce constructs in this setting, such as personalization and the conversations between the brand and the consumer. Lastly, it is also recommended to test this model across different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter, which are not fair behind Instagram with exploring social commerce options (Gomez, 2021).
74 advertising: brand-generated versus user-generated) x 2 (advertised product: hedonic versus utilitarian) experiment, both with a between-subjects design. Based on these experiments, it can be concluded that social advertising does influence the internal psychological process of the consumer, such that brand-generated social advertising leads to a stronger cognitive appraisal and user-generated social advertising leads to a stronger affective appraisal. However, the experiments also showed that there exists no direct relationship between social advertising and the decision-making (i.e., purchase intention) of the consumer; this is always mediated by the internal psychological process (i.e., cognitive and affective appraisal). Furthermore, the results indicate that the moderated effect is only significant for the effect of user-generated social advertising on cognitive appraisal. Finally, both the hedonic and utilitarian advertised products demonstrated a significant positive influence; however, the effect of the utilitarian product was even stronger.
The results provide important theoretical contributions for researchers. First of all, this research extends the knowledge about social commerce by confirming an additional social commerce construct: social advertising. As a result, the application scope of the social learning theory is extended, as well as the understanding of the consumer’s purchase decision-making process within the social advertising context. Moreover, it expands the knowledge about social advertising, specifically for Instagram. Lastly, this study proved that the type of advertised product influences the internal psychological process of the consumer. Next, based on these conclusions, this research provides important implications for practitioners. Firstly, managers should consider allocating part of their marketing budget towards social advertising to expand the social commerce activities of their company. In order to increase the purchase intention of consumers, it is important to enhance the cognitive or affective appraisal of social advertisements based on their specific goals and what they want to communicate in their advertisements. Moreover, this study proved how important it is to incorporate user-generated
75 social advertising in the marketing strategy. Lastly, this study encourages policymakers to help consumers in identifying commercial content.
This research does not come without its limitations. However, this simultaneously establishes new areas for future research. The most important limitation is that neither experiment included a pretest for the used products and social advertisements. Next, the used products in the social advertisements fall into the same categories: fashion and business-to-consumer. Future research can use different product categories such as business-to-business.
Additionally, future research could research the reason why user-generated advertising with a utilitarian product led to a higher affective appraisal, which was the opposite of hypothesis 6.
Future research can also use different moderators, such as videos versus photos. Next, other interesting areas for future research are to investigate the interplay of brand-generated and user-generated social advertising, the influence of cultural differences on the purchase decision-making process of the consumer, the different strategies that are used in social advertising, and the influence of perceived levels of trust on the internal psychological process and decision-making of the consumer. Most importantly, it is encouraged that researchers expand the existing research by testing other social commerce constructs inside and outside the current setting and by testing different social media platforms.
To conclude, this research filled an important gap in the literature by expanding the available knowledge about online consumer behavior, specifically in social commerce.
Additionally, it introduced an additional social commerce construct by identifying the importance of the role that social advertising plays in the internal psychological process of the consumer. Lastly, this research has demonstrated the potential of social commerce and social advertising. In turn, this hopefully encourages researchers and practitioners to expand this knowledge even further.
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86 Appendices
Appendix A – Extensive literature overview
A deep dive into the literature resulted in the extensive literature overview in Table 15.
Table 15
Extensive literature overview
Author(s) Title Source Research method Used model Factors examined Platform targeted
Wu & Li (2018)
Marketing mix, customer value, and customer loyalty in social commerce: A stimulus-organism-response
perspective Internet Research Web-based survey
The stimulus organism response (SOR) theory
Components of social commerce (SC) marketing mix (SC needs, SC risk, SC convenience, social capital, social identification, social influence), SC customer value and SC customer
loyalty. Facebook
Huang & Benyoucef (2017)
The effects of social commerce design on consumer purchase decision-making: An empirical study
Electronic Commerce Research and
Applications Web-based survey
The five-stage consumer decision-making process
Design quality (usability, functional and social) and purchase decision-making (product awareness, information search, evaluation, purchase and
post-purchase). Social commerce website
Chen, Lu & Wang (2017)
Customers’ purchase decision-making process in social commerce: A social learning perspective
International Journal of
Information Management Web-based survey
The social learning theory (SLT)
Learning from forums and communities, ratings and reviews and social recommendations;
cogntive and affective appraisal; purchase intention; external interaction process;
internal psychological process;
decision-making. Taobao
Hajli (2015)
Social commerce constructs and consumer's intention to buy
International Journal of
Information Management Web-based survey
Technology acceptance model (TAM) &
building a new model:
social commerce adoptation model
Social commerce constructs (recommendations and referrals, ratings and reviews, forums and communities), trust and intention to buy. Facebook
Choi & Lee (2017)
Trust in open versus closed social media: The relative influence of user- and marketer-generated content in social network services on customer trust
Telematics and
Informatics Online experiment
Social identity theory and self-categorization theory
Open and closed social media, private SNS, user-generated content, marketer-generated content and cognitive and emotional trust. SNSs
Goh, Heng & Lin (2013)
Social media brand community and consumer behavior:
Quantifying the relative impact of user- and marketer-generated content
Information Systems
Research Content analysis They do not use a model
Content information richness, content valence, directed communication versus undirected communication and consumers' purchase
behavior. Facebook
Kim & Johnson (2016)
Power of consumers using social media:
Examining the influences of brand-related user-generated content on Facebook
Computers in Human
Behavior Web-based survey
The stimulus organism response (SOR) theory
Stimulus (brand-related UGC), organism (emotional and cognitive responses) and response (immediate and latent
behavioral responses). Facebook
87
Author(s) Title Source Research method Used model Factors examined Platform targeted
Mayrhofer, Matthes, Einwiller & Naderer (2020)
User generated content presenting brands on social media increases young adults’ purchase intention
International Journal of
Advertising Experiment
The Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM)
User-generated post, brand post, disclosed advertising post, persuasion knowledge, affective reaction, purchase intention and
attention. Facebook
Thompson & Malaviya (2013)
Consumer-generated ads:
Does awareness of advertising co-creation
help or hurt persuasion? Journal of Marketing Experiment
Skepticism-Identification model
Persuasion, source similarity, advertising effectiveness, persuasion knowledge, skepticism and consumer-generated
ads. No specific platform
Chia, Hsu, Lin & Tseng (2021)
The Identification of Ideal Social Media Influencers: Integrating the Social Capital, Social Exchange, and Social Learning Theories
Journal of Electronic
Commerce Research Web-based survey
The social learning theory (SLT), social exchange theory and social capital theory
Social Capital Theory (structural, relational and cogntive dimension, cost, extrinsic and intrinsic benefit, and willingness to share), Social Learning Theory (source credibility, source attractiveness, match-up, meaning transfer, customers' attitude and
purchase intention). Social commerce website
Alalwan (2018)
Investigating the impact of social media advertising features on customer purchase intention
International Journal of
Information Management Web-based survey
The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2)
Interactivity, hedonic motivation, perceived relevance, performance expectancy, informativeness, purchase intention and
habit. No specific platform
Steyn, Ewing, van Heerden, Pitt &
Windisch (2011)
From whence it came:
Understanding source effects in Consumer-Generated advertising
International Journal of
Advertising Web-based survey
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), framing theory
Consumer-generated advertising, source effects (ad creator, ad popularity and motivation for creation of the ad) and consumer perceptions of the ad
message. No specific platform
Lee & Kozar (2009)
Designing usable online stores: A landscape preference perspective
Information and
Management Web-based survey
Kaplan's landscape preference model
Cognitive and affective appraisals, website usability (legibility, coherence, variety and mystery) and purchase intention.
Online electronics site (Amazon.com) and three online travel sites (Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com and Expedia.com)
Chae, Stephen, Bart &
Yao (2017)
Spillover effects in seeded word-of-mouth
marketing campaigns Marketing Science Content analysis They do not use a model
Brand, category, and focal product spillover effects; utitarian products and seed word-of-mouth
(WOM). Naver
Schulze, Schöler &
Skiera (2014)
Not all fun and games:
Viral marketing for
utilitarian products Journal of Marketing Content analysis
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
Sharing mechanism characteristics on Facebook, utilitarian product and product
succes. Facebook
Kempf (1999)
Attitude formation from product trial: Distinct roles of cognition and affect for hedonic and functional products
Psychology and
Marketing Experiment Product trial
Affective and cognitive responses, hedonic and functional products and
product trial. No specific platform
Colicev, Malshe, Pauwels & O'Connor (2018)
Improving Consumer Mindset Metrics and Shareholder Value through Social Media:
The Different Roles of Owned and Earned
Media Journal of Marketing Content analysis
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM),
accessibility/diagnosticity perspective
Consumer mindset metrics (brand awareness, purchase intention and customer satisfaction), shareholder value, owned social media and earned social
media. Facebook and Twitter
van der Heijden (2004)
User acceptance of Hedonic Information Systems
Management Information
Systems Web-based survey
Technology acceptance model (TAM)
User acceptance, hedonic information systems, perceived enjoyment, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness.
Hedonic information systems
Duffett (2015)
Facebook advertising's influence on intention-to-purchase and intention-to-purchase
amongst millenials Internet Research Web-based survey
Attitudes and hierarchy response model
Advertising on Facebook, Millenials, intention-to-purchase, purchase and
demographic factors. Facebook
88 Appendix B – Operationalization of the variables
The operationalization of the variables cognitive appraisal, affective appraisal and purchase intention is explained below.
Appendix B1 – Mediator cognitive appraisal
Cognitive appraisal will be measured using four statements (Martín-Consuegra et al., 2019) with a seven-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). A seven-point Likert scale is shown to be more sensitive, accurate, easier to use, and provides a better reflection of a respondent’s true evaluation (Finstad, 2010). Martín-Consuegra et al. (2019) examined consumer luxury brand-related behavior intentions in a social media context and the moderating role of hedonic and utilitarian motivations. The hedonic and utilitarian motivations are the same as cognitive and affective appraisal. The statements are as follows:
1. The social advertisements are helpful for me.
2. The social advertisements are functional for me.
3. The social advertisements are useful for me.
4. The social advertisements are practical for me.
Appendix B2 – Mediator affective appraisal
Affective appraisal will be measured using four statements (Martín-Consuegra et al., 2019) with a seven-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). The statements are:
1. I perceive the social advertisements as fun.
2. I perceive the social advertisements as exciting.
3. I perceive the social advertisements as pleasant.
4. I perceive the social advertisements as entertaining.
89 Appendix B3 – Dependent variable purchase intention
Lastly, the purchase intention of the respondents will be measured using four statements (Duffett, 2015) with a seven-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree).
Duffett (2015) researched the influence of Facebook advertisements on intention-to-purchase and purchase amongst millennials. Since Facebook advertisements can be compared with Instagram advertisements, the four statements Duffett (2015) used in his study are well suited to measure the purchase intention in this study.
1. I will buy the sunglasses that were advertised in the social advertisements.
2. I desire to buy the sunglasses that were promoted in the social advertisements.
3. I am likely to buy the sunglasses that were promoted in the social advertisements.
4. I plan to purchase the sunglasses that were promoted in the social advertisements.
Appendix C - Survey questions study 1 Intro
Dear participant,
First of all, thank you for taking the time to participate in this experiment. The experiment is about social advertising on Instagram. During the experiment you will be shown a few social advertisements on Instagram from a fictional brand, after which you will be asked questions about the advertisements.
Because this experiment is focused on Instagram, to participate in this experiment it is a prerequisite that you have an active social Instagram account.
Yes, I have an active Instagram account No, I do not have an active Instagram account Informed consent
Please read the consent form below carefully and then answer the question at the end.
90 This questionnaire uses Qualtrics. The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is committed to protecting your privacy. The University of Amsterdam has a privacy statement, which you can be read here.
The objective of this questionnaire/study is to collect information about social advertising on Instagram. You are being asked to complete a questionnaire comprising 15 questions and which should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. By completing and signing this form, you consent to the use of the data collected during the experiment. This data will be used for research purposes only. You may withdraw your consent at any time by. Once you have withdrawn your consent, your personal data will no longer be used. The data will be anonymized.
If you have any questions about this study, please address these to Noor Jansen, noor.jansen@student.uva.nl. If you have any questions at a later stage, desire additional information or wish to withdraw your consent, please get in touch.
By selecting 'Yes' below, you agree that the above information has been explained to you and that your questions have been answered. By completing and signing this form, you agree to participate in this study. Please take your time to answer the questions carefully.
Do you agree to the details set out in the consent form?
Yes, I understand the text presented above, and I agree to participate in the research study.
No, I do not agree and will not participate in the research study.
The advertisement
This question had a randomizer, the participant was randomly assigned to one of the two conditions: brand-generated or user-generated.
Brand-generated
Please read the following text: