Authenticity is not a new concept, but it is becoming an increasingly important subject of study for
marketers, psychologists, sociologists and the general public alike. It has been demonstrated its
positive link with consumer value and wellbeing more than once, so this area of research is relevant
to comprehend and use the authenticity construct to achieve better managerial performance,
consumer-brand relationship and general consumer well-being.
Many implications of commercialization nowadays ...
Authenticity is not a new concept, but it is becoming an increasingly important subject of study for
marketers, psychologists, sociologists and the general public alike. It has been demonstrated its
positive link with consumer value and wellbeing more than once, so this area of research is relevant
to comprehend and use the authenticity construct to achieve better managerial performance,
consumer-brand relationship and general consumer well-being.
Many implications of commercialization nowadays seem to go against the classic authenticity
definitions (meaningfulness, uniqueness, doing something for mere enjoyment and not for an
external reward, etc.). Brand distrust is increasing, and consumers find content generated by
brands inauthentic.
The aim of this study is to test empirically the dynamics between authenticity, value and
commercialization in the context of gift-giving. We start with a theoretical approach by proposing a
theory as of why commercialization may reduce authenticity, according to current literature review.
We suggest three frames that could explain the cause: loss of identityexpression, loss of uniqueness
and lack of emotions from producers. An experimental approach follows to test if, in the context of
gift-giving, there actually exists an effect in perceived authenticity and value if certain
commercialization cues are manipulated, such as mass commercialization, longevity and
commercial context (product being made by a person or by a company). We discover that the
proposed commercialization cues indeed affect authenticity perceptions in gift-giving. Mass
commercialization and longevity, concretely, also influence brand attitude, expected quality and
willingness to pay. Commercialization context has the reverse effect in these items, and possible
explanations for this phenomenon are proposed.
We demonstrate that commercialization leads to a penalization in authenticity perceptions when
receiving gifts and, in some cases, also in the perceived value of the product and in the attitude
towards the brand.
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