When Brand Representatives Act as Sales Associates: Mechanisms and Effects of Native Selling and its Disclosure

摘要

This research paper investigates consumer reactions when retailers and brands jointly employ a potentially deceptive sales tactic we term native selling. Native selling describes the use of brand representatives who act as sales personnel in retail stores. We investigate whether consumers are aware of this tactic, how they respond when they discover it has been employed, and whether disclosing the tactic improves consumer reactions. Drawing from research on persuasion knowledge, we predict that consumers will generally view the tactic as deceptive and thus respond negatively both to the store and brand when they believe the tactic is being used. However, we also find that consumers almost never suspect the tactic when it is not disclosed. Finally, we find that when consumers are informed of the tactic, they feel more rather than less deceived. Implications for retailers and brands are discussed.