How is time spent on TikTok related to electronic word of mouth? A PESO model approach

TikTok has become a significant social media platform for advertising revenue in emerging markets recently, leveraging its popularity among Generation Z users. In this paper, we propose a structural model explaining the relationship between paid media (TikTok advertising) and earned media (electronic word of mouth), using the PESO model as a conceptual lens to TikTok advertising. We designed our study to investigate the factors that relate to electronic word of mouth among Generation Z users on TikTok. We employed a quantitative methodology to gather data by administering 2406 online questionnaires to a convenience sample of Generation Z users of TikTok from Romania. The structural model was tested using SmartPLS, and the results indicate that the time spent on TikTok by Generation Z has a positive association with ad value and attitude toward advertising. Additionally, the perception of an advertisement as valuable positively relates to the sense of belonging, and a positive attitude toward advertising relates to the perception of its value. Ultimately, the findings suggest that ad value and attitude toward advertising are positively associated with electronic word of mouth. The results also show a positive correlation between users' sense of belonging and positive electronic word of mouth.