How to disclose sponsorship on  comparison websites

Comparison websites are on the rise; they have become increasingly well-known under the ordinary consumer. However, what is less well-known, is that comparison websites are making use of sponsorships. This means that the ranking of options is based on a financial agreement between the website and a product provider. Comparison websites should disclose sponsorship. However, the sponsorship disclosure is not always noticed or interpreted by the consumer. Also, there is not one method to disclose sponsorship. Therefore this study compared four different sponsorship disclosures: a thumbs-up icon, an information icon, a paid position tag, and a highlighted tag. The sponsorship disclosures were shown on a mock comparison website for hotels. One of the hotels was sponsored, which was indicated by the sponsorship disclosure. After the participants used the comparison website to make a hotel preference, they were presented a survey. The survey was intended to examine the influence of...Show moreComparison websites are on the rise; they have become increasingly well-known under the ordinary consumer. However, what is less well-known, is that comparison websites are making use of sponsorships. This means that the ranking of options is based on a financial agreement between the website and a product provider. Comparison websites should disclose sponsorship. However, the sponsorship disclosure is not always noticed or interpreted by the consumer. Also, there is not one method to disclose sponsorship. Therefore this study compared four different sponsorship disclosures: a thumbs-up icon, an information icon, a paid position tag, and a highlighted tag. The sponsorship disclosures were shown on a mock comparison website for hotels. One of the hotels was sponsored, which was indicated by the sponsorship disclosure. After the participants used the comparison website to make a hotel preference, they were presented a survey. The survey was intended to examine the influence of different ways of sponsorship disclosure on (a) recognizing and understanding the sponsoring, (b) the feeling of being treated fairly, and (c) the purchase behavior and purchase intention. The results showed that textual sponsorship disclosures were better recognized and understood than the sponsorship disclosures by symbols, especially the highlighted paid position tag. Contrary to our expectations, the type of sponsorship disclosure did not influence the perceived fairness, purchase behavior, and purchase intention as we expected. Possible explanations and directions for future research are discussed, as well as practical implications for consumer organizations.Show less

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How to disclose sponsorship on comparison websites