Self-referencing and its effect on brand types on online advertisement

The primary aim of this research is to determine the effect of self-referencing and brand types on brand attitude in online advertising. An experimental research method was employed for the survey. A 2×2 between subjects design was implemented, the focus was on advertising type and brand type. The bases for ad type were (self-referencing vs no self-referencing) and the bases for brand type were (sincere vs exciting) brands. Data were collected through a survey link distributed online via different social media platforms by using "Qualtrics.com" and a total number of 245 valid and qualified surveys were obtained. The research revealed that there was a significant interaction of ad type and brand type, thus, the difference between the self-referencing ad condition and the no self-referencing ad condition was significant. It is found that when the brand type is sincere, self-referencing would have a negative effect on brand attitude. It is also found that, when an ad is with self-referencing, attitude towards to the brand for an exciting brand would be higher than a sincere brand.