Authenticity of the Review

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring the perceived authenticity of a social media post or online review. Items assess whether a post is genuine and sincere, while two reverse-scored items tap suspicions that it may be fabricated or commercially motivated. The scale distinguishes authentic consumer-generated content from paid promotional posts, making it applicable to research on eWOM credibility, influencer marketing, and consumer scepticism toward branded social media content.

Representative items

• _____'s post is genuine and sincere.
• _____'s post seems fake. (r)
• _____'s post is a paid advertisement. (r)

Citation

Zhang, Zhe and Vanessa M. Patrick (2021). Mickey D's has more street cred than McDonald's: Consumer brand nickname use signals information authenticity. Journal of Marketing, 85(5), 58–73.