Augmenting brand experience in native advertising on social medias using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

Abstract

Native advertising has increasingly garnered the attention of enterprises. However, in practice, the brand experience created by these advertisements is not ideal, while empirical research on the brand experience of native advertisements is lacking. To resolve practical issues and fill the gap in theoretical discourse, this study uses fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) and applies the perspective of set theory to research social media native advertisements in the field of new media. Three factors of influence are identified for analysis relative to pathways that augment the advertising experience: a user characteristic (self-concept congruence), an advertisement characteristic (brand fit), and interactive environment characteristics (precision, interactivity, and intrusiveness). The study verifies the complementary, substitutional, and inhibiting relationships among the influencing factors and suggests native advertisement-serving strategies to guide enterprises as they construct quality brand experiences. This research enriches and develops current brand experience research and theories and expands the application of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to the fields of journalism and communications, as well as advertising. It also contributes to practice, supplying suggestions for enterprise advertisements on WeChat Moments.