The impact of message appeal on consumer behavioural engagement in the cybersecurity industry: the role of endorser type

Purpose This study aims to examine the influence of message appeal in social media posts by cybersecurity firms on consumer behavioral engagement, considering endorsements from either typical consumers or experts. The literature review suggests that both message appeal and endorsement have a positive effect on consumer behavior. Consequently, this research seeks to discern which combinations of message appeal and endorser type elicit the most favorable consumer behaviors toward cybersecurity products. Design/methodology/approach Employing a quantitative, experimental between-subjects design, the study enlisted 168 participants randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions via an online survey. Findings The findings reveal that posts with emotional message appeal did not significantly enhance consumer behavioral engagement over informational appeal. Moreover, the type of endorser was found to modulate the impact of message appeal on consumer engagement, with posts of emotional appeal generating higher engagement when endorsed by typical consumers, and informational appeal posts performing better with expert endorsement. Originality/value This study contributes to cybersecurity marketing by demonstrating that emotional appeals endorsed by typical consumers generate higher engagement than expert-backed informational messages, revealing a novel link between consumer endorsements and engagement while providing strategic insights for effective message design.