Elite athletes more authentic?: Diet and exercise effects of athletes v. models in ads

ABSTRACT

People automatically determine the authenticity of an advertisement, with more authentic ads resulting in more positive advertising evaluations and subsequent behaviors. Building on these past findings, this study sheds light on the exposure of women to images of elite female athletes and athletic-ideal models and subsequent attitudes and behavioral intentions. The study (N = 444) found that elite athletes are seen as more authentic and more influential on health outcomes. Our results suggest opportunities for sports, health, or athletics advertisers (or general advertisers) to capitalize on the potential of elite or professional athlete endorsers in an effort to increase positive health-related behaviors and suggest intent to use products advertised.

KEYWORDS:

• Authenticity
• social-mediated advertising
• online advertising
• influencer marketing
• media effects

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the ECU School of Communication Internal Funding [N/A; internal funding].

Notes on contributors

Erika Katherine Johnson

Erika Katherine Johnson's strategic and health communication scholarship is published in Communication Research, Howard Journal of Communications, Mass Communication and Society, and Newspaper Research Journal, among other mass communication and health-related journals. Her publication in PRSA’s Public Relations Journal is featured in the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center. Dr Johnson won top paper awards at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and National Communication Association (NCA) conferences, as well as from Kappa Tau Alpha (KTA). She often presents at the International Communication Association conference. Her areas of interest are as follows: influence and persuasion in health contexts, media effects, health communication with and among women; information processing; strategic communication; entertainment and social media source effects; experimental design.

Heather Shoenberger

Heather Shoenberger As the advertising and media landscape adapt to evolving innovation, Shoenberger seeks to understand the impact on consumers but also, potential avenues to make media content better, more relevant, and where possible, healthier for consumer consumption. One theme she is currently focused on is the role of perceived authenticity as it offers context to explain digital advertising efficacy, consumer attitudes, health outcomes, and behaviors as a result of an escalation of exposure to digital media and the digital manipulation of media content. Understanding the consumer’s perception of authenticity and its persuasive impact may be paramount to the beginning of creating defenses against misinformation, digital enhancements, and other types of misleading information in the media realm. She has published work in journals including the Journal of Advertising Research, The International Journal of Advertising, Communication Research, and the Journal of Health Communication, among others.