Engaging with Branded Content on Short-Video Sharing Apps: How Motivations Affect Attitude toward Branded Content, Brand Experience, and Relationship Quality

Abstract

Although short-video sharing apps (e.g., TikTok and Instagram Reels) on mobile platforms have grown exponentially due to their playful, interactive, and participatory nature, the effectiveness of branded content on these apps for desirable brand outcomes is empirically under-explored. Integrating theories of uses and gratifications, brand experience, and brand relationship quality, this study investigated how app users’ motivations for branded content interactions influence their attitude toward branded content and their responses to brands promoted on these apps. An online survey via Qualtrics was conducted to recruit short-video sharing app users who had engaged with branded content. Our findings showed that, among app users’ five motivations, entertainment, social connection, and information-seeking produced a favorable effect on their attitude toward branded content, while social connection and information-seeking generated their positive brand experience. Subsequently, both attitude toward branded content and brand experience affected relationship quality with the brands encountered on these apps. Based on these findings, theoretical and practical contributions are deliberated for academic researchers and marketing professionals.

Keywords:

• Social media advertising
• short-video sharing apps
• uses and gratifications
• brand experience
• brand relationship quality

Disclosure Statement

The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.

Ethics Statement

The authors obtained ethical approval for all protocols from their college’s Institutional Review Board to confirm that the study met national and international guidelines for research on humans. The study was granted an exemption by the committee. The protocol number is 20-022-F-X-6/11.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Emerson College Faculty Development Fund.

Notes on contributors

Seounmi Youn

Seounmi Youn (Ph.D., University of Minnesota) is a Full Professor, Department of Marketing Communication, School of Communication, Emerson College.

Palak Shah

Palak Shah (M.A., Emerson College) was a graduate student in the Strategic Marketing Communication Program, School of Communication, Emerson College.

Naa Amponsah Dodoo

Naa Amponsah Dodoo (Ph.D., University of Florida Gainesville) is an Associate Professor, Department of Marketing Communication, School of Communication, Emerson College.