The impact of regulatory focus on adolescents’ evaluation of targeted advertising on social networking sites

ABSTRACT

This article examines whether individual differences in chronic regulatory focus (prevention vs. promotion focus) among adolescents influences the way they evaluate targeted advertising on social networking sites. Study 1 (survey) reveals that adolescents with a promotion focus (who are oriented toward achieving positive outcomes) have a more positive attitude and a higher purchase intention toward targeted advertising, as compared to prevention-focused adolescents (who are dispositioned toward avoiding negative outcomes). Study 2 (experiment) investigates how adolescents’ chronic regulatory focus can alter their attitude and purchase intention on a mock social networking site that includes a targeted advertisement. Results show that a low personalized targeted ad is better evaluated (in terms of a more positive attitude and higher purchase intention) among prevention-focused adolescents, whereas a high personalized targeted ad results in better advertising outcomes among promotion-focused adolescents. Contributions to theory and implications for advertising practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Regulatory focus theory
• adolescents
• targeted advertising
• social networking sites
• advertising responses

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr Guy De Pauw for his assistance in creating the mock social networking site.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency) [SBO-130008].

Notes on contributors

Brahim Zarouali

Brahim Zarouali is currently working towards the PhD degree at the Department of Communication Studies of the University of Antwerp, Belgium. He received the master's degree in strategic communication with great distinction. His fields of interest are advertising persuasion, consumer behaviour and marketing communications. More precisely, his PhD research focuses on how adolescents respond to advertising persuasion on social networking sites.

Karolien Poels

Karolien Poels is an associate professor of strategic communication at the Department of Communication Studies of the University of Antwerp, Belgium. She studies individuals' uses and experiences of ICT and social media and how these insights can be applied for persuasive communication (advertising, protection, and empowerment of consumers).

Michel Walrave

Michel Walrave is a professor at the Department of Communication Studies of the University of Antwerp, Belgium. His research concentrates on children's and adolescents' uses of ICT. More precisely, he investigates motives and consequences of self-disclosure in interpersonal communication on social networking sites and in online marketing contexts.

Koen Ponnet

Koen Ponnet is an assistant professor at Ghent University and the University of Antwerp. He is associated with the research groups imec-mict (Ghent) and MIOS (Antwerp). His main research interests are the (mental) health, risk and problem behaviour of adolescents and adults, both offline and online