Transparency as a Trust Catalyst: How Self-Disclosure Strategies Reshape Consumer Perceptions of Unhealthy Food Brands on Digital Platforms
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review and Hypothesis Development
2.1. Digital Marketing and Consumer Behavior
2.2. Transparent Communication, Information Asymmetry, and Signaling Theory
2.3. Proactive Negative Disclosure (Self-Disclosure) in Marketing
2.4. Attribution Theory and Consumer Psychology
2.5. Hypothesis Development
3. Study 1: Foundational Effects of Disclosure Strategies
3.1. Sample and Methods
3.1.1. Participants in Study 1
3.1.2. Experimental Design and Materials
- (1)
- Control group (no special disclosure) described the product neutrally as “a perfect blend of milk and tea flavors, delicate and creamy, offering a unique taste experience”, without health-related disclosures.
- (2)
- Self-promotion group (highlighting positive attributes) emphasized “traditionally cooked brown sugar with chewy tapioca pearls” and “fresh milk, no creamer added”, accompanied by the promotional statement, “A perfect blend of milk and tea flavors, fresh milk-based, healthy, delicious, and reassuring”.
- (3)
- Self-disclosure group (transparently disclosing negative attributes) clearly labeled “high sugar and calories”, with guidance recommending “limit to one cup per day”, and the following explanatory note: “A perfect blend of milk and tea flavors, containing higher calories. Enjoy in moderation to maintain a healthy balance”.
3.1.3. Procedure
3.1.4. Measures
- (1)
- Brand Trust
- (2)
- Brand Image
- (3)
- Purchase Intention
- (4)
- Manipulation Check
3.2. Results of Study 1
3.2.1. Manipulation Check of Study 1
3.2.2. Main Effects Test
- (1)
- Brand Trust
- (2)
- Brand Image
- (3)
- Purchase Intention
3.3. Discussion of Study 1
4. Study 2: Unpacking the Trust-Building Mechanisms
4.1. Research Objective of Study 2
4.2. Participants in Study 2
4.3. Research Design and Experimental Materials
4.3.1. Research Design
4.3.2. Stimuli and Scenario Setting
- (1)
- Control group (no health information disclosure): General description provided: “A perfect blend of grape and tea flavors, delicate and creamy, offering a unique taste experience”, without mention of any health-related attributes.
- (2)
- Self-promotion group (highlighting positive health attributes): Labels emphasized “hand-peeled grapes, juicy sweetness”, and “low-sugar recipe, zero trans-fat”, with promotional text stating “A perfect blend of grape and tea flavors, hand-peeled grapes, all-new low-sugar recipe. Healthy, delicious, and reassuring”.
- (3)
- Self-disclosure group (explicit negative health disclosure): Labels clearly indicated “High sugar and calories”, with recommendations to “Limit to one cup per day”, accompanied by explanatory text: “A perfect blend of grape and tea flavors, containing higher calories. Enjoy in moderation to maintain a healthy balance”.
4.4. Procedure and Operational Flow
- (1)
- (2)
- Perceived transparency based on Schnackenberg et al. (2016) [70], assessing openness, clarity, and authenticity in brand information disclosure. Example item: “The brand’s product disclosure makes me feel it is honest and trustworthy”. Scale reliability was high (Cronbach’s α > 0.85).
- (3)
- Brand confidence modified from Erdem et al. (1998) [71] to evaluate overall consumer confidence in brand quality and reputation. Example item: “I believe this brand consistently offers reliable quality”, rated on a 7-point Likert scale. Pretesting confirmed strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.88).
4.5. Data Analysis and Results
4.5.1. Manipulation Check of Study 2
4.5.2. Main Effects Analysis in Study 2
4.5.3. Mediation Analysis
4.6. Discussion of Study 2
5. Study 3: Consumer Attachment and Involvement as Boundary Conditions
5.1. Research Objective of Study 3
5.2. Research Design and Procedures
- (1)
- Control group (no additional health disclosure) had a basic flavor description provided—”A perfect blend of milk and coconut flavors, delicate and creamy, offering a unique taste experience”, without mentioning health-related attributes.
- (2)
- Self-promotion group (highlighting positive attributes) labels emphasized “classic Recipe—over 700 million cups sold in 3 years”, “zero trans-fat”, “imported coconut milk”, with the promotional statement ”A perfect blend of milk and coconut flavors, zero trans-fat, low-sugar recipe. Healthy, delicious, and reassuring”.
- (3)
- Self-disclosure group (explicit negative disclosure) labels clearly stated “high sugar and calories”, with the advice to “limit to one cup per day”, accompanied by the explanatory statement ”A perfect blend of milk and coconut flavors, containing higher calories. Enjoy in moderation to maintain a healthy balance”.
5.3. Results of Study 3
5.3.1. Main Effects Analysis in Study 3
- (1)
- Brand Trust
- (2)
- Brand Image
- (3)
- Purchase Intention
5.3.2. Test of Moderated Mediation Effects
- (1)
- The Moderating Role of Product Involvement
- (2)
- The Moderating Role of Emotional Brand Attachment
5.4. Discussion of Study 3
6. Study 4a: Health Consciousness Effects—Scale Measurement Approach
6.1. Experimental Design and Procedure
6.2. Results of Study 4a
6.2.1. Main Effects Analysis in Study 4a
6.2.2. Test of the Moderating Effect of Health Consciousness
7. Study 4b: Reassessing Health Consciousness Through Priming Methodology
7.1. Research Objective of Study 4b
7.2. Experimental Design
- (1)
- For the low-health-consciousness condition, participants were presented with the following passage:
- (2)
- For the high-health-consciousness condition, participants were shown the following text:
7.3. Results of Study 4b
7.3.1. Manipulation Checks of Study 4b
- (1)
- Information Disclosure Manipulation
- (2)
- Health Consciousness Manipulation
7.3.2. Main Effects Analysis in Study 4b
7.3.3. Testing the Moderation of Health Consciousness
7.4. Discussion of Study 4b
- (1)
- Self-Licensing Account
- (2)
- Hedonic–Dominance Account
8. Conclusions and Discussion
8.1. General Conclusions
8.2. Theoretical Contribution
- (1)
- Redefining Transparency for “Negative Categories”
- (2)
- Attribution-Based Mechanism Insights
- (3)
- Boundary Conditions of Trust Building
8.3. Practical and Regulatory Implications
8.3.1. Implications for Regulators
8.3.2. Real-World Validation 1: Domino’s Cal-O-Meter
8.3.3. Real-World Validation 2: Heytea’s Caffeine Transparency Initiative
8.4. Limitations and Future Research Prospects
- (1)
- Sample Composition and Cultural Generalizability
- (2)
- Product Category Limitations
- (3)
- Absence of Behavioral Data
- Platform A/B tests, which collaborate with delivery apps (e.g., Meituan, Uber Eats) to vary disclosure formats while monitoring click-through and conversion rates;
- Eye-tracking studies, which capture whether transparency cues secure visual attention amid competing on-screen elements;
- Spillover analyses, which xamine whether upfront honesty about a focal item increases basket size or add-on purchases in digital carts.
- (4)
- Future Research Directions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
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Sun, C.; Ji, J.; Meng, X. Transparency as a Trust Catalyst: How Self-Disclosure Strategies Reshape Consumer Perceptions of Unhealthy Food Brands on Digital Platforms. J. Theor. Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2025, 20, 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020133
Sun C, Ji J, Meng X. Transparency as a Trust Catalyst: How Self-Disclosure Strategies Reshape Consumer Perceptions of Unhealthy Food Brands on Digital Platforms. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research. 2025; 20(2):133. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020133
Chicago/Turabian StyleSun, Cong, Jinxi Ji, and Xing Meng. 2025. "Transparency as a Trust Catalyst: How Self-Disclosure Strategies Reshape Consumer Perceptions of Unhealthy Food Brands on Digital Platforms" Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research 20, no. 2: 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020133
APA StyleSun, C., Ji, J., & Meng, X. (2025). Transparency as a Trust Catalyst: How Self-Disclosure Strategies Reshape Consumer Perceptions of Unhealthy Food Brands on Digital Platforms. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 20(2), 133. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer20020133