The effect of advertorial deception on irritation, credibility, and attitude, both
for the advertiser and advertising medium
Introduction ................................................................................ 9
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
Introductory ................................................................................... 9
Problem discussion ..................................................................... 11
Purpose ....................................................................................... 11
1.3.1 Fulfillment of purpose ....................................................... 11
1.3.2 Structure of research questions ........................................ 12
1.3.3 Research question structure ............................................. 13
Perspective ................................................................................. 13
Delimitations ................................................................................ 13
Methodology ................................................................................ 14
Structure of thesis ....................................................................... 14
1.7.1 Introduction ....................................................................... 14
1.7.2 Background ...................................................................... 14
1.7.3 Frame of Reference .......................................................... 14
1.7.4 Method.............................................................................. 14
1.7.5 Empirical Material ............................................................. 14
1.7.6 Analysis ............................................................................ 15
1.7.7 Conclusion ........................................................................ 15
1.7.8 Disussion .......................................................................... 15
2 Background ........................................................................ 16
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
The development of news advertising ......................................... 16
Emerging threats change conditions ........................................... 16
Increased interest in the web ...................................................... 17
Online advertising on a decrease ................................................ 17
Free news; was it a mistake? ...................................................... 18
A need for resolution ................................................................... 18
Advertorials, part of a sustainable solution? ................................ 18
3 Frame of reference ............................................................. 19
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
Advertorials and research ........................................................... 19
3.1.1 Popular advertising format ................................................ 19
3.1.2 Yet subtle and non-intrusive ............................................. 19
Online context: differences and issues ........................................ 20
3.2.1 Characteristics of online advertising ................................. 20
3.2.2 Specific effects of the online context ................................. 21
Deceptive advertising and recognition......................................... 22
Credibility .................................................................................... 24
3.4.1 Operational definition ........................................................ 24
3.4.2 What constitutes credibility ............................................... 24
3.4.3 Hovlands model of attribution of credibility ....................... 24
3.4.4 Aftonbladet and Volvo in Hovlands model ....................... 25
3.4.5 News credibility ................................................................. 26
3.4.6 The effects of using advertorials ....................................... 27
3.4.7 Brand credibility ................................................................ 28
Irritation ....................................................................................... 28
3.5.1 Irritation and level of deception ......................................... 28
3.6
3.5.2 What is irritating? .............................................................. 28
Consumer attitude and behavior ................................................. 29
3.6.1 Attitude toward brand........................................................ 29
3.6.2 Advertising avoidance ....................................................... 30
[Link] Rising phenomenon ......................................................................................... 30
[Link] Reasons for advertising avoidance.................................................................. 31
3.7
3.8
3.6.3 Likeliness to return to site ................................................. 31
Consumer view on advertorials ................................................... 31
Summary of hypotheses .............................................................. 32
4 Method ................................................................................ 34
4.1
4.2
Research perspective .................................................................. 34
4.1.1 Nature of purpose ............................................................. 34
4.1.2 Multi method approach ..................................................... 34
Primary data ................................................................................ 35
4.2.1 Pilot test ............................................................................ 35
4.2.2 Experiment ....................................................................... 35
[Link]
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Design .............................................................................................................. 35
The treatment .................................................................................................. 37
Multiple-group experiment .............................................................................. 38
Preparations for the experiment ...................................................................... 38
Measuring deceptiveness of advertorials ........................................................ 38
Suggested guidelines for disguise content analysis ........................................ 38
4.2.3 Questionnaire ................................................................... 40
[Link]
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How to formulate questions ............................................................................. 40
Types of questions used ................................................................................... 40
How to write questions .................................................................................... 41
On coding of questions .................................................................................... 41
Selection of sample .......................................................................................... 43
Data requirements table .................................................................................. 44
Scale measurements ........................................................................................ 45
Construction of hypotheses .............................................................................. 45
Execution of experiment .................................................................................. 45
4.2.4 Interviews ......................................................................... 45
[Link] Complementary embedded study .................................................................... 45
[Link] Semi structured interviews ............................................................................. 45
[Link] Considerations when performing interviews .................................................. 46
4.3
Secondary data ........................................................................... 47
4.3.1 Adopted scales ................................................................. 47
4.3.2 Search words .................................................................... 47
[Link] On Google scholar............................................................................................ 47
[Link] Scholarly Journals and Periodicalsfrom e-JULIA ........................................ 47
4.4
Data analysis ............................................................................... 48
4.4.1 Method of analysis ............................................................ 48
[Link] Summing up the sample ................................................................................. 48
[Link] Codebook .......................................................................................................... 49
[Link] Compound variables: summing up the constructs ......................................... 51
4.5
Validity......................................................................................... 51
4.5.1 Operational definition ........................................................ 51
4.5.2 Internal validity .................................................................. 51
4.5.3 External validity & generalisability..................................... 51
4.5.4 Construct validity .............................................................. 52
[Link] Summary of Cronbach alpha for all constructs ............................................. 52
4.5.5 Criterion-related validity .................................................... 52
4.6
Reliability ..................................................................................... 53
4.6.1 Operational definition ........................................................ 53
4.6.2 Observer error and observer bias ..................................... 53
4.6.3 Subject/Participant error ................................................... 53
4.6.4 Subject/Participant bias .................................................... 54
5 Empirical findings .............................................................. 55
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
Proposed changes for hypotheses .............................................. 55
Mean values for hypotheses ....................................................... 55
Test for normality......................................................................... 55
Hypothesis testing ....................................................................... 55
5.4.1 Choice of statistical method .............................................. 55
5.4.2 Kruskal-Wallis test ............................................................ 56
[Link] Result ............................................................................................................... 56
5.4.3 One-way between groups ANOVA test ............................. 56
[Link] Result ............................................................................................................... 56
5.4.4 Hypotheses for Volvo ........................................................ 57
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Hypothesis 1: Perceived expertise of Volvo ...................................................... 57
Hypothesis 2: Perceived trustworthiness of Volvo .......................................... 57
Hypothesis 3: Irritation with Volvo................................................................ 57
Hypothesis 4: Brand attitude towards Volvo .................................................. 57
Hypothesis 5: Advertising avoidance for Volvo .............................................. 58
5.4.5 Hypotheses for [Link] .......................................... 58
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Hypothesis 6: Perceived expertise of [Link] ........................................ 58
Hypothesis 7: Perceived trustworthiness of [Link] ............................ 58
Hypothesis 8: Irritation with [Link] .................................................. 58
Hypothesis 9: Brand attitude towards [Link].................................... 59
Hypothesis 10: Likeliness to return to [Link] .................................... 59
5.4.6 Hypothesis regarding the aspects of the advertorial ......... 59
[Link] Hypothesis 11: Advertising recognition .......................................................... 59
5.5
5.4.7 Summarizing results of hypotheses .................................. 60
Hierarchical multiple regression .................................................. 60
5.5.1 Summary of measurements .............................................. 60
5.5.2 Volvo ................................................................................. 61
[Link] Attitude towards Volvo .................................................................................... 61
[Link] Advertising avoidance of Volvo ....................................................................... 61
5.5.3 [Link] ................................................................... 62
[Link] Attitude towards [Link]...................................................................... 62
[Link] Likeliness to return to [Link] ............................................................. 62
5.6
5.7
Other grouping variables in the Kruskal-Wallis test ..................... 63
5.6.1 Grouping variable: Recognition of advert by participant ... 63
5.6.2 Grouping variable: Sex of respondent .............................. 63
Summary of interviews ................................................................ 63
6 Analysis............................................................................... 66
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
Credibility .................................................................................... 66
Irritation ....................................................................................... 68
Consequences on brand attitudes & consumer behavior ............ 68
6.3.1 Brand attitudes.................................................................. 68
6.3.2 Consumer behavior .......................................................... 69
Recognition ................................................................................. 70
View on the use of advertorials and its ethical concerns ............. 71
Significant relationships between variables ................................. 72
7 Conclusion .......................................................................... 74
8 Discussion .......................................................................... 77
8.1
8.2
Research quality and methods .................................................... 77
Future research suggestions ....................................................... 77
8.2.1 Alternative 9 group research design ................................. 77
8.2.2 Examine advertorials from a brand alliance
perspective .................................................................................. 78
8.2.3 Advertiser consistency ...................................................... 78
8.2.4 Removing bias by making a fake news site ...................... 78
9 Bibliography ....................................................................... 79
10 Appendix ............................................................................. 86
10.1 Mock up advertorials ................................................................... 86
10.1.1 Low deception................................................................... 86
10.1.2 Medium deception ............................................................ 87
10.1.3 High deception .................................................................. 88
10.2 Study log of the pilot test ............................................................. 89
10.3 Questionnaire - Swedish version ................................................. 90
10.3.1 [Link] ................................................................... 90
10.3.2 Volvo ................................................................................. 91
10.4 Questionnaire - English version .................................................. 93
10.4.1 [Link] ................................................................... 93
10.4.2 Volvo ................................................................................. 94
10.5 Irritation measures....................................................................... 96
10.6 Credibility measure...................................................................... 97
10.7 Interview guide - Swedish ........................................................... 98
10.8 Interview guide - English ............................................................. 98
10.9 Interview summary ...................................................................... 99
10.10 SPSS outputs ............................................................................ 103
10.10.1 Test for normality ....................................................... 103
10.10.2 Result from one-way between groups ANOVA test.... 104
10.10.3 Homogeneity of variance ........................................... 104
10.11 Experiment poster ..................................................................... 105
(p. 39)
(Schweiger, 2000)
(2004)
(2002)
(2004)
(2002)
(2007)
(2007)
(Mitchell & Jolley, 2007)
(2007)
(Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2007, citing Dillman, 2000)
(2007)
(A. Santos, 1999)
(Cronbach, 1951)
(A. Santos, 1999; George & Mallery, 2003; Bland &
Altman, 1997)
(George & Mallery, 2003)
(1995)
(2004)
(Batra & Ahtola, 1990)
(2000)
(Till & Busler, 2000)
(Mitchell & Jolley, 2007)
(1996)
(1995)
(2004)
(Saunders,
Lewis, & Thornhill, 2007)
(2007)
(2007)
