Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Effects of Cause and Disclosure on Attitudes Toward an Instagram Post: Does the Influencer’s Race Matter?

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Abstract

The purpose of this experimental study is to examine the effects of (a) cause (vs.non-cause) ad message, (b) sponsorship disclosure (vs. non-disclosure), and (c)influencer race (white vs. black) on attitudes towards the influencer (i.e.,authenticity, attractiveness), persuasiveness of the promotion and intention to follow the influencer. Using an online US female consumer panel, aged 18-40 as the majority of Instagram users (n=234), results showed a main effect of cause was significant for authenticity and persuasiveness. The main effect of disclosure was significant for intention to follow. The 2-way interaction effect of cause and disclosure was significant on authenticity. Finally, the3-way interaction effect of cause x disclosure x race was significant on attractiveness. Marketers may gain different results when they employ black influencers over white influencers. Future research can further explore the impact of influencer race on consumer responses based on racial match between the influencer and respondent.

Keywords: social media, cause marketing, race, attitudes, consumer response

How to Cite:

Smith, S., Lee, B., Kim, Y. & Childs, M. L., (2022) “Effects of Cause and Disclosure on Attitudes Toward an Instagram Post: Does the Influencer’s Race Matter?”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13437