Effects of Sponsorship Disclosure Timing on Endorsement Effectiveness: The Moderating Role of Emotional Attachment

Background: With the increasing importance of user-generated video platforms for marketing, sponsorship is crucial for the monetization of user-generated content, which may go against the need to cultivate emotional bonds with followers and maintain channel authenticity. To mitigate the negative effects associated with sponsorship disclosure, this study focuses on the exploration of appropriate disclosure timing and examines the impact of disclosure timing on endorsement effectiveness for user-generated videos. Method: Anchored in attribution theory, we employed a scenario-based survey method involving 355 valid responses to investigate the impact of sponsorship disclosure timing (prior, concurrent, and post) on endorsement effectiveness and the possible moderating role of emotional attachment. Results: The results indicate that only concurrent sponsorship disclosure positively impacts consumers' attitudes and subsequent endorsement effectiveness, while prior and post sponsorship disclosure exert negative impacts. The moderating role of emotional attachment was not supported by the current empirical evidence. Conclusion: Our study advances the research on sponsorship disclosure by providing an in-depth understanding of disclosure timing, exploring new methods compatible with the current trends in user-generated video platforms and providing valuable guidance for marketers to optimize the use of sponsored content.