Date of Award
Winter 12-2023
Degree Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
School
Communication
Committee Chair
Dr. Fei Xue
Committee Chair School
Communication
Committee Member 2
Dr. Lindsey Maxwell
Committee Member 2 School
Communication
Committee Member 3
Dr. Dave Davies
Committee Member 3 School
Communication
Abstract
The objective of this study is to determine how effective the newly enforced NIL deals among college athletes are in terms of social media advertising. With the rise of social media and the amount of people using social media daily, it is imperative for advertisers to understand various ways of promoting brands on social media. A 2x2x2 mixed experimental design was used to investigate the effects of college athletes-sponsored Instagram posts among college students, specifically source relevance, product relevance, and message authenticity. Findings suggested positive effects of using college athletes as sponsors. Source relevance, product relevance, and message authenticity played a significant role in determining consumers’ attitude toward the sponsored posts and brands. Limitations and directions for future research were also discussed.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Zach, "College Athletes as Endorsers: A Study of NIL Advertising" (2023). Master's Theses. 1001.
https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1001
Included in
Mass Communication Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, Social Media Commons, Sports Studies Commons