Consumer Persuasion Knowledge as Dynamic Capability

Persuasion knowledge refers to consumers’ knowledge of how persuasion works in the marketplace. We argue that persuasion knowledge can be perceived as a dynamic consumer capability. Similar to the concept of organizational dynamic capabilities, persuasion knowledge can only be successful (in terms of increasing the value and benefit for consumers) if the concept is considered dynamic and in need of adaptation to rapidly changing environments, that is, changing media and advertising landscapes. A dynamic view of persuasion knowledge can help researchers interested in understanding the concept of persuasion knowledge, its antecedents and outcomes, by differentiating between the stable elements of the concept (e.g., identifying something as persuasion) and the dynamic elements of the concept (e.g., identifying native advertising as advertising). Future research on persuasion knowledge can benefit from the ideas and insights obtained from the research on dynamic capabilities.