This site details a comprehensive discussion of scholarly literature that explores; the use of social media influencers as marketing tools, the FTC regulations that have been implemented on sponsored content, consumer responses to sponsored content and disclosure statements, and perceptions towards a brand and of sponsorship disclosures.

Through a survey analysis, consumers are asked to describe their relationship with Instagram influencers and sponsored content. Through a series of likert-scale questions, participants were required to identify the impact sponsorship disclosures have on their brand attitudes, perceived trust of Instagram influencers, and the activation of their persuasion knowledge.

Additionally, the research analyzes how Instagram influencers and sponsored content impact consumer attitudes towards brands and the ways they process advertisements. Past research finds that consumer attitudes can be negatively affected by sponsored content that is not disclosed by influencers, thus leading to skewed perceptions of sponsored content as advertising and influencer authenticity. Results from this survey analysis find that participants are not significantly impacted by the presence of a disclosure statement as previous research states. Overall, these results challenge previous studies and provide researchers with new ideas surrounding the topic of the use of Instagram influencers and sponsored content as marketing tools.