Deceptive Marketing Exposed: Are Consumers Done Caring?
(A2026-132794)

AUTHORS

Mihaela Constantinescu, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Andreea Orindaru, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Andreea Pachi?anu, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies; Lucia Gatti, University of Trento; Susanne Pedersen, Aarhus University; CHRISTIAN MUNAIER, Tecnologico de Monterrey

ABSTRACT

Ever since the emergence of the modern economy, brands have been competing for consumer attention, leaning into increasingly sophisticated tactics designed to persuade and blur the line between reality and perception. As markets expanded, deceptive marketing techniques found fertile ground. Therefore, we raise a pressing question: are people still paying attention, or have they grown numb to deceptive marketing techniques? The purpose of this session is to unpack deceptive marketing using a theoretical foundation consisting of the Persuasion Knowledge Model (Friestad & Wright, 1994), Self-Categorization Theory (Turner et al., 1987), and Interpersonal Deception Theory Buller and Burgoon (1996). In a context where greenwashing complicates the environmental impact landscape, where misinformation spreads faster than nutrition guidelines can keep up, and where AI-generated content increasingly blurs the boundary between authentic voices and engineered narratives, understanding consumer perception becomes crucial. The importance of unpacking deceptive marketing in today’s environment means learning how these practices shape expectations, behaviours and ultimately the relationship between brands and people. As AI accelerates content creation, narratives shape public views on food, and sustainability claims multiply, the need for clarity becomes increasingly urgent. What we choose to expose, question and regulate today will directly influence the future of honest and responsible marketing. This Special Session brings together four papers, each examining a key facet of deceptive marketing in the modern world: 1. Consumers’ perception on deceptive marketing techniques: Are consumers checking the facts? (Andreea Orîndaru, Mihaela Constantinescu, Andreea Pachițanu, Ștefan-Claudiu Căescu, Diana Elena Drăghici); this paper shows that although consumers claim to be sceptical of deceptive tactics such as greenwashing, social-washing, health-washing and fake UGC, only factors like trust, risk avoidance and prior exposure determine whether they actually verify marketing claims. 2. Do Consumers Care Who Is Harmed? Responses to Greenwashing Affecting Humans, Animals, and Plants (Lucia Gatti, Marta Pizzetti); this paper shows that consumers judge “washing” practices far more harshly when people—not animals or the environment—are harmed, revealing shifting moral expectations and stronger demands for corporate repair in cases of human impact. 3. The role of narratives in shaping and circulating food misinformation (Susanne Pedersen, Alina Diana Both, Simone L. T. Mouritzen, Klaus G. Grunert); this paper points to how vague health and sustainability claims, suggestive framing, and influencer storytelling spread food misinformation across digital media, revealing how ambiguous narratives distort consumers’ perceptions of food quality, health, and safety. 4. Using AI in user-generated content: are online buyers noticing it, and how is it affecting their decision-making? (Mihaela Constantinescu, Mihai Orzan, Maria Petrescu, Florina Botezatu, Daniel Constantin Pestrea, Ana Ruxandra Neacșu); this paper explores how consumers become better at spotting AI-generated reviews, and this often erodes trust not only in the review but in the entire platform, ultimately weakening purchase intentions and exposing a key vulnerability in online marketplaces. The invited discussant, prof. Christian Munaier (Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico), will enrich the conversion on deceptive marketing techniques with his own expertise and valuable insights.