Date of Award

5-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

School of Business

First Advisor

Paul Shelton, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Debby Thomas, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Debora Sepich, Ed.D.

Abstract

Audiences are consuming digital content at an increasing rate, and they use social media as a substantial source of information on products and services. Businesses are leveraging influencer marketing to reach their audiences and create a pre-disposition to buy from their brands represented by these social media influencers. Marketers are likely to increase their investments in social media by 53.6% in the coming five years, placing greater attention on this topic for many business executives (Moorman, 2021). This quantitative study explored the varying forms of sponsorship disclosure cues and their effect on engagement rates for different influencer types in the Test & Measurement (T&M) industry. The analysis utilized archival data from 31 YouTube influencers, along with different forms of sponsorship disclosures, to explore their effect on engagement rates. The study found a significant correlation with engagement rate for Impartial and Implied sponsorship disclosures but an insignificant correlation for Explicit sponsorship disclosures. This study is important as it revealed that it is worthwhile for businesses and influencers to consider the implications of contract arrangements and the obligations they may inadvertently place on an influencer to change their sponsorship disclosure approach in order to remain transparent and compliant while maintaining their perceived credibility.

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