The Impact of Influencers and Influencer Marketing on the Formation of Public Opinion: Perceptions of Croatian Students

Abstract

The terms influencer and influencer marketing are relatively new. However, they have raised research issues and gained a lot of attention in various research areas, ranging from social psychology, information and communication technology to marketing. Nevertheless, the impact of influencers on the adoption of new products and services, brand awareness and brand recognition is undeniable. Despite the impressive growth and popularity of influencers and influencer marketing in general, there is a lack of academic and practitioner research on the impact influencers have on the formation of public opinion. This study attempts to provide better insight and understanding of this subject as well as to represent a stepping stone for future research in this area. The theoretical starting points of this paper accentuate the knowledge based on influencers and influencer marketing, the formation of public opinion and the role of media in the formation of public opinion. The main objective of this paper is to determine the impact of influencers and influencer marketing on the formation of public opinion on everyday topics among a sample of 142 students from University North in Croatia from May to July 2022. The paper examines the differences in students' perception of influencers and influencer marketing on the formation of public opinion with regard to gender, age, level of study and type of study. The obtained results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference in the surveyed students about the influence of influencers and influencer marketing on the formation of public opinion according to the level and type of study and provide new insights for marketing and media practitioners.