Factors Contributing to Consumers' Assessment of Advertisement Value on Social Networking Sites: A Cross-Cultural Focus Group Study

Abstract

The way online consumers assess the value of advertisements on social networking sites (SNSs) is important to know, because it has been shown that value of these advertisements can influence consumers' behavior toward advertised products and brands. In that regard, this study aimed to provide insights into how online consumers think about and assess the value of advertisements on SNSs by using a focus group method. Two focus groups were conducted with two groups from the different cultural background (Indian and Swedish). By using Krueger and Casey's (2000) five weighting factors, the participants revealed different weights for the tested factors. The Indian participants were more information-oriented, and the presented factors seemed applicable to them. In comparison, the Swedish participants were more focused on credibility, and factors like interactivity seemed not applicable to them. This is the first study that empirically examines online consumers' assessment of advertisement value on SNSs by using a focus group approach. It helps to gain a deeper insight into that research phenomenon. In the future, researchers need to carry sequential exploratory studies to confirm the effects of social influence and pre-purchase search motivation.Keywords: Social Networking Sites, Facebook, Advertisement Value, Social Media, Cultural Backgrounds, Social Influence, Motives, Belief FactorsJEL Classifications: M31, M371DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.7118