Worth it? An analysis of user digital engagement from sponsored versus non-sponsored influencers' videos
(A2023-114137)

AUTHORS

Eliane Francisco-Maffezzolli, Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba Campus (PUCPR); Ana Cristina Munaro, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná PUCPR; João Pedro Santos Rodrigues, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR); Maria Tosin, PUCPR

ABSTRACT

Influencer marketing has been successfully used by companies and brands and has experienced continued growth over the last few years. However, current marketing literature needs to provide a clearer picture of how sponsorship disclosure impacts the engagement of influencer posts on YouTube. To help solve this gap, we created a model to collect data from trend videos, resulting in 26.515 videos and 312 YouTube channels belonging to influencers. We then processed this data using statistical analysis. The results show that sponsored videos tend to generate better indicators of user engagement. In addition, the study points out which channel's content categories are most promising for sponsorship investments. Our results inform the literature on influencer marketing and assist marketing planners aiming for optimal budgets in their campaigns.