Factors Influencing Sponsorship Disclosure and Attitudes Toward Problematic Digital Marketing Practices of Social Media Influencers Worldwide

This mixed-methods study investigates ethical practices among 500 social media influencers spanning across 44 countries and eight languages using surveys and in-depth interviews. Contrary to the study’s assumptions of demographic and cultural influence, most structural factors and individual characteristics showed little influence towards sponsorship disclosure practices and attitudes toward problematic digital marketing. Findings show that cultural context (high or low) had no relationship to disclosure practices, while linguistic culture significantly affected disclosure methods, with French-speaking creators being the most likely to directly disclose sponsorships while Chinese creators are the least likely to do so. Follower size was the strongest predictor, with creators with 10 K+ followers being twice as likely to disclose sponsorships directly compared to nano-influencers. Qualitative interviews revealed that contingency factors, such as including personal values alignment with brands, influencer confidence in audience trust, brand type, and client expectations, affect disclosure practices. The study shows the complexity of ethical decisions on sponsorship disclosure practices and the need for an ethical theory-based standard to provide guidance for influencers to optimize disclosure of sponsored product recommendations.