Do fake followers mitigate influencers’ perceived influencing power on social media platforms? The mere number effect and boundary conditions

Zhou, Liying; Jin, Fei; Wu, Banggang; Chen, Zhi; Wang, Cheng Lu

doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113589

Cited by 42 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…The increasing commercialization of influencer marketing has led consumers to become more aware of brands’ heightened influence over the content and actions of influencers (Audrezet et al , 2020). A related issue is the deceptive practice of influencers purchasing fake followers to amplify their perceived influence, further challenging social media influencers’ authenticity (L. Zhou et al , 2023).…”

Section: Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

Liu,

Lee

2024

JPBM

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Purpose This study aims to investigate the rising trend of virtual influencers – digitally created characters with human-like attributes. It aims to evaluate and compare their effectiveness with human influencers in terms of brand attitudes and purchase intentions. It uncovers the mechanisms underlying the differences in effectiveness observed between virtual influencers and their human counterparts. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a 2 (influencer type: human vs virtual) × 3 (product type: functional vs symbolic vs experiential) between-subjects design. Through a pilot study (n = 334) and a main study (n = 352), the research examines the interactive effects of influencer and product type on brand attitude and purchase intentions. Hypotheses were developed and tested using moderating mediation models centered on authenticity and product–endorser fit. Findings Virtual influencers are perceived as less authentic than human influencers across all product types, negatively influencing brand attitude and purchase intention. However, the extent to which influencer type affects brand attitudes and purchase intentions, mediated by product–endorser fit, varies based on the product type. Originality/value This research emphasizes two key mechanisms – authenticity and product–endorser fit – influencing the effectiveness of virtual influencers. It suggests that aligning virtual influencers with suitable product types can offset their perceived authenticity deficit, significantly affecting their endorsement effectiveness.

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Section: Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

Liu,

Lee

2024

JPBM

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“…Furthermore, certain quantitative image properties in histopathology, which are not easily discernible to the human eye, can predict patient survival, highlighting the presence of untapped data in pathology slides. With the emergence of deep CNN, AI can aid in diagnosing prostate cancer through biopsy specimens and detecting breast cancer metastasis in lymph nodes [105]. For example, ML, in conjunction with live-cell biomarkers, can reduce the risk stratification of breast and prostate cancer patients.…”

Section: Pathology Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Personal Health Applications of Machine Learning Techniques in the Internet of Behaviors

Amiri,

Heidari,

Darbandi

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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With the swift pace of the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in diverse spheres, the medical and healthcare fields are utilizing machine learning (ML) methodologies in numerous inventive ways. ML techniques have outstripped formerly state-of-the-art techniques in medical and healthcare practices, yielding faster and more precise outcomes. Healthcare practitioners are increasingly drawn to this technology in their initiatives relating to the Internet of Behavior (IoB). This area of research scrutinizes the rationales, approaches, and timing of human technology adoption, encompassing the domains of the Internet of Things (IoT), behavioral science, and edge analytics. The significance of ML in medical and healthcare applications based on the IoB stems from its ability to analyze and interpret copious amounts of complex data instantly, providing innovative perspectives that can enhance healthcare outcomes and boost the efficiency of IoB-based medical and healthcare procedures and thus aid in diagnoses, treatment protocols, and clinical decision making. As a result of the inadequacy of thorough inquiry into the employment of ML-based approaches in the context of using IoB for healthcare applications, we conducted a study on this subject matter, introducing a novel taxonomy that underscores the need to employ each ML method distinctively. With this objective in mind, we have classified the cutting-edge ML solutions for IoB-based healthcare challenges into five categories, which are convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), deep neural networks (DNNs), multilayer perceptions (MLPs), and hybrid methods. In order to delve deeper, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) that examined critical factors, such as the primary concept, benefits, drawbacks, simulation environment, and datasets. Subsequently, we highlighted pioneering studies on ML methodologies for IoB-based medical issues. Moreover, several challenges related to the implementation of ML in healthcare and medicine have been tackled, thereby gradually fostering further research endeavors that can enhance IoB-based health and medical studies. Our findings indicated that Tensorflow was the most commonly utilized simulation setting, accounting for 24% of the proposed methodologies by researchers. Additionally, accuracy was deemed to be the most crucial parameter in the majority of the examined papers.

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“…Brand identification fulfils consumers' self‐definitional needs (Tildesley & Coote, 2009) and reflects the cognitive and emotional bond between consumers and the brand (Farivar & Wang, 2022). From the theoretical perspective of social identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), the brand identification process can be conceptualized as a self‐construal process in which individuals classify themselves into certain reference groups by self‐identifying to define their position in the social environment (Escalas & Bettman, 2005; Zhang et al, 2021; Zhou et al, 2023). Therefore, inspiring characters in brand stories remind and enable the audience (consumers) to learn the core values (i.e., to be relentless, persistent, and fearless) or identify the brand value via observational or vicarious learning (Bandura et al, 1963).…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does character's gender matter in inspirational brand story? Exploring the moderating effect of gender role conformity

Chen

Wang

Zhou

2023

Int J Consumer Studies

Self Cite

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Inspirational brand story is a widely used marketing strategy in brand building. However, few empirical studies have investigated the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of a successful brand story strategy. The current study examined the influence of lead character's gender in inspirational brand story on consumer–brand identification based on the social identity theory, benevolent sexism, and gender schema theory. Results from two experiments demonstrated that the gender of inspirational brand stories has an impact on consumer brand identity through the mediation effect of sympathy. Compared with a male character, a female character elicits viewers' sympathy, which results in high brand identification. Such a gender effect is stronger when there is a high level of perceived gender role conformity. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.

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Do fake followers mitigate influencers’ perceived influencing power on social media platforms? The mere number effect and boundary conditions

Cited by 42 publications

References 51 publications

Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

The Personal Health Applications of Machine Learning Techniques in the Internet of Behaviors

Does character's gender matter in inspirational brand story? Exploring the moderating effect of gender role conformity

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