Cute but concerning: investigating the impact of portraying children in momfluencer content on engagement, advertising value and advertising effectiveness

Abstract

Many momfluencers heavily feature their children on their social media profiles, often in an attempt to increase promotional success. Contrary to our assumptions and those from prior research, the results of our three experimental studies with mothers show that including a child in sponsored momfluencer content does not directly boost social and advertising potential. The first study (N = 154) indicates that child presence (versus absence) does not contribute to higher audience engagement, advertising value, or advertising effectiveness. The second study (N = 144) reveals similar direct results, but also shows that branded content featuring a child is perceived as cuter, positively impacting engagement and advertising outcomes. Notably, authenticity did not drive any effects. The third study (N = 170) aligns with these results and adds that child presence also heightens privacy awareness, which triggers moral advertising literacy and, in turn, negatively affects engagement and advertising outcomes. Considering that child presence in sponsored content does not yield differences in advertising impact, this article highlights the importance of prioritizing the protection of children’s privacy.

Keywords:

• influencer marketing
• children
• cuteness
• privacy
• advertising value

Disclosure statement

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

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this manuscript are available from the corresponding author, upon reasonable request.

Figure 1. Conceptual model.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds (BOF) under Grant BOF20/IOP/030.

Notes on contributors

Elisabeth Van den Abeele

Elisabeth Van den Abeele is a PhD candidate at the Department of Communication Sciences at Ghent University. Her research centers on the complexities surrounding children as senders of commercial messages in context of kidfluencer marketing and influencer sharenting. Twitter: @vdaelisabeth.

Emma Beuckels

Emma Beuckels is a postdoctoral fellow at the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) and affiliated with the Department of Communication Sciences at Ghent University. Her research focuses on how influencer marketing affects both parents and children. Twitter: @emmabeuckels.

Liselot Hudders

Liselot Hudders is an Associate Professor of Marketing Communication and Consumer Behavior at the Department of Communication Sciences of Ghent University and director of the Center of Persuasive Communication. She focuses her research on how minors cope with embedded advertising and how social media messages should be framed to foster behavioral change, with a focus on influencer marketing.

Ini Vanwesenbeeck

Ini Vanwesenbeeck is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication and Cognition at Tilburg University. Her research focuses on minors’ processing of (persuasive) media. Twitter: @inivanw.