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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Consumer marketplaces have been changing due to the evolution of digital technology,
especially with the creation and popularity of social networking sites. The rise and
massive use of social media by consumers opened a door to new forms of
communication between brands and consumers. One of them is through the use of
social media influencers (SMI), which now assume a pivotal role to connect brands
with consumers. This has led many companies and brands to increasingly include in
their marketing strategy influencer-based campaigns, although as Janssen et al. (2022)
alert, much remains to be explored to gain a better understanding of the value of digital
influencers as an instrument for marketing communication. One of the issues that
warrant further research is what types of influencers are effective in which situations
and for what purpose (Vrontis et al., 2020). Given that the empirical research is mainly
focused on a broader and generic concept of social media influencers, scholars have
already highlighted the need to address potential differences among the several types
of SMI and examine if they have a distinct impact on the customers’ journey (e.g.,
Boerman, 2020; Vrontis et al., 2020). There are numerous typologies of digital
influencers depending on factors such as their status, practices, or their impact and
presence on specific social media platforms, but the most popular classification is
related to audience size, that is, their number of followers. In this study, we depart
from the last criteria (number of followers) to examine the role and impact of a specific
SMI type – the macroinfluencer - on the customers’ journey of their followers.
The authors collected and analyzed data from approximately 460 Instagram users in
Portugal that followed one or more lifestyle macroinfluencers on this digital platform.
These followers, mostly women between 18 and 45 years old, use Instagram on a daily
basis. In this survey, we examined the role of the social media macroinfluencers’
perceived credibility, perceived content utility, their perceived similarity with their
followers, the perceived fun and satisfaction that followers derive from following them,
as well as consumer motives to follow, on the consumers’ decision process. Overall, the results show that the perceived macroinfluencers characteristics are positively
related to the consumers’ intentions to search for and purchase products and services
announced by these SMI. According to the findings, the examined macroinfluencers’
perceived characteristics are also positively related to the followers’ intentions to keep
following the SMI in the future. The results are discussed and the academic and
business implications of the study are examined.
Description
Keywords
Social networking sites Instagram Influencer marketing Macroinfluencers Customers’ journey
Citation
Antunes, A.C, & Murteira, C. (2023, abr., 11) Can macroinfluencers have an impact on the customers’ journey of their followers?. Comunicação apresentada no VIII Congreso Internacional Comunicación y Pensamiento: Imagen y manipulación. Viejas prácticas, nuevas fronteras, Facultad de Comunicación de la Universidad de Sevilla, Espanha.
Publisher
AdMIRA - Análisis de Medios, Imágenes y Relatos Audiovisuales
LADECOM - Laboratorio de Estudios en Comunicación
IMAGO - Imagen, Medios Audiovisuales e Historia de la Comunicación
IROCAMM - International Review of Communication and Marketing Mix
EGREGIUS - Congresos y Eventos
LADECOM - Laboratorio de Estudios en Comunicación
IMAGO - Imagen, Medios Audiovisuales e Historia de la Comunicación
IROCAMM - International Review of Communication and Marketing Mix
EGREGIUS - Congresos y Eventos