The impact of social media posts’ commercial orientation: examining the mediating role of expectancy violation and the moderating role of gender

While travel influencers are pivotal for destination marketing, the unintended consequences of their commercialisation remain under-scrutinized. This study investigates the ‘dark side’ of influencer marketing, specifically examining how a post’s commercial intent (signalled via sponsorship disclosure) drives influencer avoidance and destination avoidance. Drawing on Expectancy Violation Theory (EVT), we posit that evident commercial intent breaches the psychological contract of authenticity between influencer and follower. Across two scenario-based experiments-Study 1 (N = 237) utilising a fictitious influencer and Study 2 (N = 220) employing real influencers to enhance ecological validity – we find that commercial intent significantly increases avoidance behaviours. Mediation analysis confirms that this process is driven by expectancy violation. When followers perceive a commercial motive, they feel relationally transgressed, leading to punitive outcomes for both the creator and the destination. Furthermore, the study identifies gender as a critical moderator, revealing that female followers exhibit significantly stronger avoidance responses than males. These findings challenge the efficacy of transactional sponsorship models, warning Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) that overt commercialisation can alienate the very audiences they seek to attract.