The Social Exchange of Viral Ads: Referral and Coreferral of Ads Among College Students

Taking a consumer centric approach, this study investigates the social processes central to ads going viral. Specifically, insights into the intertwining roles of brand relationships and sharing motivations in the social exchange of advertising are explored. Two distinct referral decision-making processes were proposed and tested: referral and coreferral. Results offer evidence that brand relationships interact with sharing motivations to impact ad referral decision processes within social networking sites. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.