The effect of deceptive advertising on consumer perception, brand image and brand loyalty

This study examines the effects of deceptive advertisements on consumer perceptions, brand image and customer loyalty in the food supplement sector. Today, there is a significant increase in consumer demand for healthy living and immune system supporting products. This situation leads to rapid growth and intense competition in the sector; some companies resort to unethical advertising practices that contain misleading content for consumers. Understanding how deceptive advertisements affect consumer perception and loyalty is important for the effectiveness of marketing strategies and consumer policies. A quantitative research method was adopted in the study to measure the effects of deceptive advertisement perception on brand image and customer loyalty. An online survey was applied to 399 consumers over the age of 18 living in Gaziantep province and selected with the purposeful sampling method. The survey form included questions to measure the demographic information of the participants, their perceptions of deceptive advertisements, brand image and loyalty levels. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS statistical programs. Reliability, confirmatory factor analysis and regression analyses were performed in the analyses. The analysis results revealed that misleading advertisements negatively affect consumers' brand image and significantly reduce customer loyalty. It was determined that consumers are particularly sensitive to misleading information in advertisements for health-related products. It was concluded that ethical and transparent advertising practices play a critical role in ensuring consumer trust. In this context, it was emphasized that advertising controls in the sector should be strengthened and consumer awareness activities should be increased. This study aims to present suggestions to academic literature and relevant policy makers by revealing the negative effects of misleading advertising practices in the sector.