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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the type of disclosure used by social media influencers on consumer evaluations of influencer transparency, product performance expectations and how those factors ultimately influence purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach An experiment was conducted with 321 participants recruited from MTurk to test a moderated serial-mediation model. Findings The results indicate that when consumers become cognizant that an influencer’s branded promotional post may have been motivated by an underlying financial relationship, they evaluate the influencer as significantly less transparent if a more ambiguous disclosure is used relative to a clearer disclosure. Transparency perceptions of the influencer impact consumers’ perceptions of product efficacy as well as purchase intentions. Originality/value Social media influencers are rapidly emerging as a popular marketing tool for brand managers, but consumer response to this form of promotion is not well understood. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate how the type of endorsement disclosure used by a social media influencer impacts consumer perception of influencer transparency, product efficacy and purchase intentions. Further, this research demonstrates the applicability of the persuasion knowledge model in the domain of influencer marketing.

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Influencer marketing is an emerging technological disruptor for marketing across a wide range of industries. This tactic allows companies to promote products in a more organic, trust-affirming manner compared with other forms of paid advertising. As the use of influencer marketing is rapidly growing, marketing educators have a unique opportunity to prepare students to perform this in-demand marketing skill. This article outlines a classroom exercise, called the Matchmaking Activity, which introduces the concept of influencer marketing, provides hands-on experience, and encourages critical thinking to solve a simulated marketing dilemma. The end goal is for students to gain confidence that can be applied to a real-world marketing environment. To assess the effectiveness of the Matchmaking Activity, the exercise was conducted with students in digital marketing classes. Based on findings from a post-activity reflection survey completed by students, the Matchmaking Activity results in the achievement of several desirable learning outcomes. Ideas for adapting this exercise for use in a variety of other marketing courses are also provided.