Influencer marketing: a scoping review and a look ahead

Fowler, Kendra; Thomas, Veronica L.

doi:10.1080/0267257x.2022.2157038

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 122 publications

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“…Similarly, extant literature is yet to examine the factors or variables associated with the individual himself or herself that may create similarities or differences in the way they seek, interpret and respond to influencer content. Given that research on influencer marketing is emerging from a phase of infancy (Taylor, 2020; Fowler and Thomas, 2023), there is a need to examine the implications it can have from a consumer well-being perspective, a gap that the present study seeks to fill by understanding consumers’ experiences with influencer marketing and the processes and variables shaping the nature and implications of such experiences.…”

Section: Review Of the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Social media “stars” vs “the ordinary” me: influencer marketing and the role of self-discrepancies, perceived homophily, authenticity, self-acceptance and mindfulness

Shehzala,

Jaiswal,

Vemireddy

et al. 2024

EJM

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Purpose Social media influencers have become constant companions of a large audience of young consumers, but a crucial yet underexplored area of examination relates to the implications of exposure to influencers for an individual’s self-concept. This study aims to examine if and how individuals experience self-discrepancies when exposed to influencers and the impact of such discrepancies on their affect, cognition and behaviors toward the influencers and the brands they endorse. Design/methodology/approach The authors thematically analyze 17 semistructured interviews, develop a conceptual model and present a set of hypotheses. The hypotheses are tested by analyzing survey data from 503 respondents using structural equation modeling. Findings Individuals actively engage in comparisons with influencers’ virtual self-presentation and treat them as emblematic of an ideal self. The associated self-discrepancy can lead to both negative and positive affect, but while the latter has a positive impact on e-word of mouth (WOM) and purchase intent, the former has a negative impact. Perceived homophily dampens the impact of exposure to influencer content on discrepancy and strengthens the link between discrepancy and positive affect. Self-acceptance and mindfulness positively moderate the impact of discrepancy on positive affect and negatively on negative affect. Perceived authenticity strengthens the impact of positive affect on e-WOM and dampens the impact of negative affect on purchase intention. Research limitations/implications The authors contribute to the literature on self-discrepancies by identifying a consumer context where, in addition to the theoretically predicted negative affect, an individual may experience more positive emotions like feeling motivated or inspired because of the perceived attainability of an influencer as an ideal self. The authors contribute to the influencer marketing literature by examining the influencer–follower relationship and its implications for an individual’s self-concept, including the role played by perceived homophily and authenticity. The authors also contribute to the literature on consumer well-being and identify the role of self-acceptance and mindfulness in shaping consumer experiences. Practical implications The authors provide a nuanced analysis of the impact of influencer marketing on consumer behavior with a focus on its impact on an individual’s self-concept. The authors argue for the role of perceived homophily and authenticity in shaping favorable consumer behavior outcomes and offer evidence for more inclusive approaches to marketing. Originality/value The authors identify the influencer–follower relationship as a unique social exchange where the source of self-discrepancy is also a homophilic solution provider for achieving one’s ideal self and report both positive and negative effects as outcomes of experiencing a self-discrepancy induced by a target perceived as more attainable. The authors situate understandings of perceived homophily and authenticity along these relationships and identify self-acceptance and mindfulness as mechanisms used by individuals to deal with discrepancies.

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Section: Review Of the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Social media “stars” vs “the ordinary” me: influencer marketing and the role of self-discrepancies, perceived homophily, authenticity, self-acceptance and mindfulness

Shehzala,

Jaiswal,

Vemireddy

et al. 2024

EJM

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“…A product's perception is influenced by various sources of information, which contribute to determining its perceived value (Al‐Debei & Al‐Lozi, 2014; Kim & Han, 2009). When followers find an SMI trustworthy, they regard that SMI as honest, reliable, and sincere in their communication and endorsements (Fowler & Thomas, 2023). Trustworthiness is an essential component of an influencer's credibility, which significantly impacts the followers' decision‐making process and their evaluations of endorsed brands (Fowler & Thomas, 2023).…”

Section: Model Conceptualisation and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When followers find an SMI trustworthy, they regard that SMI as honest, reliable, and sincere in their communication and endorsements (Fowler & Thomas, 2023). Trustworthiness is an essential component of an influencer's credibility, which significantly impacts the followers' decision‐making process and their evaluations of endorsed brands (Fowler & Thomas, 2023). As followers view a trustworthy SMI as a credible source of information, they tend to trust the content shared by that SMI (Lou & Yuan, 2019).…”

Section: Model Conceptualisation and Hypotheses Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of followers' purchase intentions toward brands endorsed by social media influencers: Findings from PLS and fsQCA

Foroughi,

Iranmanesh,

Nilashi

et al. 2023

J of Consumer Behaviour

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Given the rise of marketing through social media influencers (SMIs), this study aimed to investigate the influences of source credibility and content validity factors on followers' attitudes and intention to purchase brands endorsed by SMIs through brand engagement and brand expected value. The study assessed the moderating effect of product–influencer congruency. Data were collected from 429 individuals in Iran and were assessed using the “partial least squares” (PLS) and “fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis” (fsQCA) approaches. PLS results affirmed the significance of all direct relationships except the role of entertainment value on brand engagement and informativeness value on brand expected value. Product–influencer congruence positively moderated the effects of trustworthiness and expertise on brand expected value. fsQCA identified five solutions with various combinations of elements that lead to high purchase intention. The results of performing fsQCA revealed that three factors, namely attractiveness, entertainment value, and attitude, are necessary to achieve high purchase intention. fsQCA results challenged the PLS findings, indicating the importance of using an asymmetric approach in conjunction with PLS. Our study provides valuable insight for marketing influencers and practitioners on the importance of source credibility and content value factors in enhancing the effectiveness of SMI marketing activities and persuading customers to purchase endorsed brands.

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“…Social media influencers are individuals who use social media to foster online connections to gain social capital, often with the intent to parlay that capital into compensation from others who desire to gain an advantage from the influencer's ability to persuade their followers (Fowler & Thomas, 2023). A significant amount of literature examines influencers from a brand strategy perspective, exploring how social media influencers can best be utilized to promote a brand's message (for a review see Hudders et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How social media influencer collaborations are perceived by consumers

Thomas,

Fowler,

Taheran

2023

Psychology and Marketing

Self Cite

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Within the social media community, influencers engage in a variety of collaborative practices such as tagging, reposting content from, or forming partnerships with other influencers and brands. While such collaborative efforts are a known practice, less is understood about how influencer collaborations affect consumers' perceptions of the partnering influencers, specifically when a status differential exists within the collaboration. We suggest that such collaborative practices, specifically those where the focal influencer has a higher status than the collaborating partner, may help to weaken consumers' perceptions that the influencer's actions are purely self‐focused. A pilot study, analyzing both influencer–influencer collaborations and influencer–brand collaborations, provides evidence that influencers engage in collaborations with other influencers and brands of different status levels. Two studies then support our theorizing that influencers who collaborate with lower‐status influencers are perceived as less self‐serving and more altruistic, while influencers who collaborate with lower‐status brands are only perceived as less self‐serving. This suggests that, for influencers who desire to enhance how consumers perceive them, an effective strategy is to engage in collaborations with either a lower‐status influencer or brand.

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Influencer marketing: a scoping review and a look ahead

Cited by 18 publications

References 122 publications

Social media “stars” vs “the ordinary” me: influencer marketing and the role of self-discrepancies, perceived homophily, authenticity, self-acceptance and mindfulness

Social media “stars” vs “the ordinary” me: influencer marketing and the role of self-discrepancies, perceived homophily, authenticity, self-acceptance and mindfulness

Determinants of followers' purchase intentions toward brands endorsed by social media influencers: Findings from PLS and fsQCA

How social media influencer collaborations are perceived by consumers

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