When Branding Backfires: Investigating the Impact of Brand Overexposure in User-Generated Content
(A2025-126490)

AUTHORS

Julia Rosada, Universität Hamburg; Magdalena Heynicke, Universität Hamburg; Mark Heitmann, University of Hamburg; Jochen Hartmann, Technical University of Munich; Jasper Schwenzow, Universität Hamburg

ABSTRACT

Brand presence in user-generated content (UGC) plays an increasingly significant role in shaping brand perceptions. However, there is limited research on the specific impact of the level of brand exposure in UGC on consumer behavior. This study leverages CNNs to investigate more than 200,000 brand-related image posts across more than 150 brands. Adopting a multi-method approach, we consistently find that brand presence in captions or prominent logo placement within images positively impacts viewers’ purchase intentions and brand perceptions. However, an excessive brand presence when both the brand is prominently featured in the image and tagged, can lead to overexposure. In such cases, viewers are less likely to express purchase intentions, and the brand’s overall image may suffer. Overall, our findings provide compelling evidence that moderate brand exposure in UGC enhances purchase intent and brand image, while overexposure can result in a negative consumer response.