Influencer Whitelisting & Dark Posts : A Cross-generational Study on Consumers’ Perception and Trust in Social Media Advertisement

Sammanfattning: This paper investigates the perception of dark posts in influencer whitelisting (IWL) and their impact on consumers’ trust compared to other forms of sponsored content on social media. The study employed a mixed-methods approach involving a survey with open-ended questions to gather data from participants across different generational cohorts - GenZ, Millennials and Gen-X. The findings indicate that dark posts are generally perceived as undisclosed advertisements, negatively impacting message trustworthiness and source credibility. Lack of authenticity and transparency from the social media influencer (SMI) and the brand were identified as key factors contributing to this perception. On the contrary, factors positively influencing consumers’ trust in dark posts included familiarity with the SMI, the brand, or the product, simple sponsorship disclosure, permanent content showcasing the product on the SMI’s feed, and authenticity in the influencer’s tone of voice and wording. The study contributes to the existing literature on influencer marketing and emphasises the importance for brands to find a balance between effective marketing strategies and consumer trust, particularly in the context of influencer whitelisting. Brands should consider factors of familiarity, authenticity, and transparency to impact source credibility in influencer whitelisting campaigns positively.