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Advertising in online social networks: the role of perceived enjoyment and social influence

Ana Maria Soares (School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal)
José Carlos Pinho (School of Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal)

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing

ISSN: 2040-7122

Article publication date: 11 August 2014

8329

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of perceived enjoyment in advertising response in online social networks (OSN). The authors propose and test a structural model explaining response to OSN advertisements embracing perceived enjoyment, social influence and advertising-related variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered through the application of a structured questionnaire to a sample of 126 students of the same scientific area (marketing and communication studies).

Findings

The results validate the proposed model and support nine out of ten hypotheses. The study supports the role of perceived enjoyment as a predictor of both social identity and group norms. Furthermore, social identity and group intention have a positive impact on perceived advertisement relevance. Finally, group intention towards advertisements and perceived advertisement relevance have a positive impact on perceived advertisement value, which in turn impacts positively on response to OSN advertisements.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation relates to the fact that the study mainly covered a population aged between 18-35 years old. Despite its relevance as a segment of OSN users, some caution needs to be taken in generalizing findings to a broader population.

Practical implications

These results provide important indications for firms aiming at fully exploiting the computer-mediated communication of OSNs. Specifically, we confirm the role of perceived enjoyment in reinforcing group dynamics and shaping group intentions towards advertising.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study lies in the focus on perceived enjoyment as a predicting variable of social influence and advertising variables, thus impacting response to OSN advertisements.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors’ are indebted to Luisa Santos for her help in the process of survey design and data collection. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support of “Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – FCT”, through the iMarke strategic project (reference PEst-OE/EGE/UI4021/2011)..

Citation

Maria Soares, A. and Carlos Pinho, J. (2014), "Advertising in online social networks: the role of perceived enjoyment and social influence", Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 245-263. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-08-2014-001

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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