Abstract
This study explores how social media influencers’ (SMIs) endorsements preceding commercials can increase positive response, even when sponsorship is disclosed. We employed three rhetorical frames—transparency, co-orientation, and downplaying—in a real-world test scenario involving TV commercials for two energy corporations with problematic reputations. A national survey with 644 respondents revealed that each rhetorical frame significantly bolstered positive attitudes toward the featured corporations. These attitude shifts were mediated by reductions in persuasion knowledge and increases in message credibility. Our findings not only support but also extend existing theories on endorsement effectiveness by integrating the insights from rhetorical theory. It shows that understanding the nuances of ‘how’ a message is delivered, through rhetorical framing, can be as crucial as ‘what’ is being said.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Ethical Statement
This study was approved by University of Missouri’s IRB Committee (IRB Project Number: 2016082).
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Eunjin (Anna) Kim
Eunjin (Anna) Kim (PhD, University of Missouri) is an Assistant Professor, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.
Esther Thorson
Esther Thorson (PhD, University of Minnesota) is Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, College of Communication Art and Sciences, Michigan State University.
Margaret Duffy
Margaret Duffy (PhD, University of Iowa) is a Professor, Missouri School of Journalism, University of Missouri.
Heather Shoenberger
Heather Shoenberger (PhD, University of Missouri) is an Assistant Professor, Donald P. Bellisario College of Communication, Penn State University.