It is in the best interest of marke

It is in the best interest of marketing organisations to act in a socially responsible manner and to ensure that their actions are not morally objectionable towards consumers (Lantos, 2001, Zairi and Peters, 2002 and McAdam and Leonard, 2003). It follows therefore that it is important to examine the perceived efficacy of techniques such as VSM in order to determine their potential for business success.



For marketers to effectively utilise VSM marketing techniques for this important youth segment, a clearer understanding of Gen Y consumer attitudes towards VSM is required. The following research questions are proposed to explore this subject:

Attitudes and perceptions of viral stealth marketing
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To what extent do Generation Y’s attitudes towards the ethics of VSM influence brand perceptions and intention to purchase?
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How do the perceptions of VSM differ between Gen Y and Baby Boomers?
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Do post-purchase attitudes change amongst Gen Y consumers if the source of promotion is disclosed as being VSM rather than VM?

Trust, disclosure and recommendation
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Will Gen Y recommend products to their peers if they know that they have been marketed by VSM?
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If targeted as VSM agents, will Gen Y disclose this to their peers when recommending brands, products or services?
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Does Gen Y perceive their peers as untrustworthy if they discover that they have been paid to have promoted a brand, product or service to them?


Efficacy of VSM
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Is VSM more effective in targeting Gen Y than physical or verbal stealth marketing techniques?
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Does the relaxed informal setting of Internet use enhance the recipient receptivity to VSM techniques?

Source credibility
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Does the VSM messenger influence ‘source credibility’ perceptions?
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Does a lack of knowledge of the VSM messenger imply low source credibility or is the response more neutral?
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Can information mitigate a lack of knowledge of the VSM messenger?


These research possibilities require exploration in the context of those Generation Y consumers with access to electronic communications and who therefore may be susceptible to VSM. Implementation of this research will begin to address the identified gap in the literature on Stealth Marketing.