Brand webtoon as sustainable advertising in Korean consumers: A focus on hierarchical relationships

Abstract

This study explores the impacts of webtoons as branded entertainment on consumer responses in competitive advertising markets. A webtoon is a digital cartoon format developed in South Korea for Korean audience that do not read comic books often, but are heavy consumers of webtoons. Using general surveys on brand webtoons in Korea, factors influencing consumer attitudes and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intentions were investigated. The results of this study found that there are hierarchical influences on the use of brand webtoons on consumer emotion, transportation, persuasion knowledge, and advertising believability in order. The pattern of relationships was somewhat different between effects on attitudes toward brand webtoons and eWOM intentions. More specifically, pleasure and arousal influenced both attitudes and eWOM intentions. However, dominance only influenced eWOM intentions, and transportation only influenced attitudes towards branded webtoons. Persuasion knowledge negatively influenced both dependent variables. Advertising believability showed positive influences on attitudes and behavioral intentions.