Consumer attitudes towards Instagram advertisements in Egypt: The role of the perceived advertising value and personalization

Abstract

This article investigates the factors that affect consumers’ attitudes towards Instagram advertisements in Egypt. Furthermore, it studies the effect of consumers’ attitudes towards these advertisements on the development of their attitudes towards brands. An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 412 Instagram users in Egypt. The results suggest that the level of consumers’ perception of informativeness, entertainment, credibility and lack of irritation in the Instagram advertisements is strongly related to their attitudes. Moreover, the results confirm the positive effect of consumers’ attitudes towards Instagram advertisements on their attitudes towards the advertised brands. The current study contributes theoretically by presenting the factors that can make consumers hold favourable attitudes towards advertising on their Instagram accounts. This expands the focus of the theory of consumers’ attitudes towards advertisements to social media which has largely replaced traditional advertising media. Additionally, this article contributes practically by providing some guidelines for marketers to follow when advertising on Instagram.

Keywords:

• Instagram
• social media marketing
• advertising
• Egypt
• brand attitude

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

The popularity of Instagram has increased among consumers where it is expected to replace the major social networking sites in the coming few years. Many companies across different industries have started to recognize the power of this social networking site in customer engagement. This article underscores the importance of the content type of Instagram advertisements in generating positive attitudes. Specifically, it recommends the usage of informative, entertaining and credible content by companies on Instagram to fully utilize its power in advertising. Thus, if conducted in a correct manner, Instagram advertising can provide a solution for the high advertising avoidance that many consumers have developed.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Hazem Rasheed Gaber

Hazem Rasheed Gaber is a lecturer in marketing at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport in Egypt. He holds a PhD in marketing from the University of Huddersfield in the UK. Much of his research focuses on the impact of social media marketing on consumption behavior.

Len Tiu Wright

Len Tiu Wright is currently an Emeritus Professor of Marketing at De Monfort University. She was formerly Professor of Marketing and Research Professor at the university of Huddersfield and Visiting Professor at the University of Keele. Her writings have appeared in books, in American and European academic journals and at major conferences where some have gained best paper awards.

Kaouther Kooli

Kaouther Kooli is a senior lecturer in marketing at Bournemouth University. Her research focuses on B2B marketing and its impact on brands and consumers. Much of her work appeared in international journals such as Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing, Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing and Journal of Customer Behavior.