Brand Humour Advertisements on a Social Network Platform and Their Impact on Online Consumer Engagement: The Case of Instagram

Abstract

Past studies on humour have predicted that the right humour technique can attract attention and lead to organic engagement from the viewer. However, limited research has been conducted concerning the use of humour by brands on social media. Based on Speck's taxonomy of humour, this research aims to clarify whether online brand humour advertisements have an impact on consumer engagement on a visual social media platform like Instagram. This chapter analyses the influence of comic wit and satire on product involvement, brand familiarity and gender, and their impact on online consumer engagement on the social network platform. A survey was developed and distributed online and a total of 216 participants from Qatar voluntarily filled out the questionnaire. Data was then analysed using SPSS and structural equation modelling. Results provide evidence that both humour techniques have a significant impact on consumer engagement when product involvement is mediating their relationship. Managerial implications of the results and future research prospects are also discussed.