To Be or Not To Be (an Ad): Advertising Students' Understanding of Instagram In-Feed Native Advertising.

This study investigates U.S. college advertising students' ability to recognize and interpret in-feed native advertising on Instagram, focusing on the effects of an additional purchasing label ("Shop Now") and ad-context congruency. Data from 303 students revealed a notable deficiency in native ad recognition, with only 55% identifying ads and just 25% correctly naming the advertised brand (Whole Foods). Qualitative analysis identified four key indicators students associate with advertising: professional photo quality, branded products, persuasive language, and excessive hashtags. Quantitative results showed that high ad-context congruency increased perceptions of nativeness and positive emotions but did not significantly affect ad attitudes or negative emotions, while the presence of the "Shop Now" label had limited impact. The findings highlight challenges in advertising education, emphasizing the need to enhance digital advertising literacy and ethical training to better prepare students for the evolving digital advertising landscape.