Blurred borders - Effects of website credibility and product involvement on the effectiveness of online native advertising
(A2021-92946)

AUTHORS

Goetz Greve, HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration; Vanessa Löffler, Performance Media Deutschland GmbH

ABSTRACT

Due to growing consumer scepticism towards advertising, marketing managers have turned to native advertising – a format that intendedly aims at blurring the lines between editorial and commercial website components. However, source credibility effects, i.e. website credibility, are expected to influence the effectiveness of native advertising. This study investigates consumer perceptions of native advertising in terms of ad attitude and ad credibility. Data retrieved from 134 respondents in an online experiment, analysed with partial least squares path modelling, shows that consumers’ perceptions of ad credibility and ad attitude are influenced by website credibility and persuasion knowledge. Interestingly, product involvement significantly moderates the relations between website credibility and ad credibility. These results provide important insights for brand managers, ad agencies, and publishers that can increase the effectiveness of planning and executing online native advertising.