The interconnected role of strength of brand and interpersonal relationships and user comment valence on brand video sharing behaviour

ABSTRACT

This study addresses gaps in our understanding of viral advertising by examining the following questions: (1) how do brand relationships, interpersonal relationships, and user comment valence influence decisions to accept referrals of and re-share online video ads, and (2) how do the roles of each intertwine to influence those decisions. A national sample (N = 405) of 18- to 34-year-old Facebook users participated in a 2 (stronger/weaker brand relationship strength) × 2 (stronger/weaker interpersonal relationship strength) × 2 (positive/negative user comments) experiment. The results show that interpersonal relationships, brand relationships, and valence of user comments play different, but intertwining roles in social networking site users' acceptance of viral video ads and decisions to re-share. Interpersonal relationships most strongly influenced ad referral acceptance while brand relationships and comment valence drove re-sharing. A three-way interaction, however, revealed that positive user comments greatly strengthen the brand's impact on referral acceptance; negative comments strongly negate brand influence.

Keywords:

• Electronic word of mouth
• viral advertising
• brand relationships
• message valence
• user-generated content

Acknowledgment

This research was funded by the Jim Kennedy New Media Professorship Fund. A portion of the research was conducted at the Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications at the University of South Florida.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jameson L. Hayes

Jameson L. Hayes is an assistant professor of advertising in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations in the College of Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. His research interests include emerging media marketing, consumer-brand relationships, and advertising field development.

Yan Shan

Yan Shan is an assistant professor in the Journalism Department in the College of Liberal Arts at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. His research interests include media strategy and advertising effects and the impact of emerging communications technologies on advertising and public relations.

Karen Whitehill King

Karen Whitehill King is Jim Kennedy Professor of New Media, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and professor of advertising in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Her research interests include advertising industry issues, digital media and health communication.