A Qualitative Research on the Influence Mechanism of Influencer Sponsorship Disclosure on Corporate Brand Marketing

Abstract

The prevalence of hidden grass‑root marketing advertisements posted by social‑media influencers has prompted platforms and regulators to mandate sponsorship disclosure labels for sponsored content. Nevertheless, existing quantitative empirical studies have yielded completely contradictory conclusions regarding the communication effects of such disclosures. Traditional questionnaire‑based quantitative research presupposes causal relationships among variables and struggles to restore consumers’ genuine, multi‑layered native psychological experiences when confronted with promotional labels; accordingly, there is a lack of bottom‑up qualitative explorations in this research field. This study conducted one‑on‑one online semi‑structured interviews with 40 social‑media users meeting predefined screening criteria. Among them, the transcripts of the first 32 interviews served as core materials for coding analysis, and the remaining eight transcripts were used to test theoretical saturation. Adopting the classic grounded‑theory approach, this paper completed three‑stage coding including open coding, axial coding and selective coding. The findings indicate that influencer sponsorship disclosure simultaneously triggers two parallel but opposite psychological processing logics for consumers. On the one hand, drawing on their accumulated persuasion knowledge, audiences quickly identify the commercial profit‑seeking motives behind influencers’ posts, perceive that their consumption decisions are being deliberately manipulated, and consequently generate psychological reactance, which reduces their acceptance and repurchase intentions toward the corresponding brand. On the other hand, explicit and clear sponsorship disclosure acts as transparent self‑disclosure behaviour, which significantly improves audiences’ perceived authenticity of influencers and shortens parasocial‑emotional bonds between followers and bloggers, thereby positively fostering consumers’ favourable attitudes toward promoted brands. Furthermore, the fit between an influencer and the promoted product (in terms of personal persona and product category) functions as a core situational constraint that moderates the strength of the two psychological paths. Under high‑fit conditions, perceived manipulation induced by disclosure is greatly weakened, and the positive gain effect brought by perceived authenticity is further amplified. In low‑fit cross‑border promotion scenarios, audiences are more likely to detect marketing tactics, and the trust‑enhancing effect of transparent disclosure almost disappears. From a qualitative perspective, this study reconciles conflicting conclusions from prior quantitative research, compensates for the deficiency of existing literature that over‑emphasises quantitative analysis, and provides solid qualitative empirical evidence for corporate influencer marketing placement and compliant advertising governance on social‑media platforms.