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Purpose This study aims to identify the dimensions used by young consumers to evaluate effective online influencers; determine the impact of demographic segmentation – that is, gender, behavioral segmentation and whether young consumers often follow the advice of online influencers to make a purchase – on the evaluative dimensions. The results will inform advertisers regarding the types of online influencers that they should feature to endorse their products to create desirable promotion effects. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a multistage method. This study first conducted eight focus groups with 48 participants between 18 and 24 years of age to explore their evaluation of online influencers. This study then conducted a survey with a questionnaire developed from the focus group results. This study used convenience sampling and administered the questionnaire to 475 participants (mean age, 19.5 years). Findings The results of factor analysis revealed seven dimensions used by young consumers to evaluate online influencers. The most salient dimensions were credibility, appearance and content production techniques. The results of t-testing also show that gender and behavioral segmentation variables had an impact on these evaluative dimensions in the four tested product categories. Practical implications This study provides advertisers with a set of criteria to select appropriate online influencers in various advertising settings, such as the promotion of gender-specific products, and in various product categories that target young consumer markets. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to examine the dimensions used by young consumers to evaluative online influencers in relation to product endorsement.

This paper investigates the impact of social media influencer endorsements on purchase intention, more specifically, the impact advertising disclosure and source credibility have in this process. The proposed framework argues that advertising disclosure has a significant impact on source credibility subdimensions of attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise; subdimensions that positively influence consumer purchase intention. Empirical findings based on 306 German Instagram users between 18 and 34 years of age reveal that source attractiveness, source trustworthiness and source expertise significantly increase consumer purchase intention; whilst advertising disclosure indirectly influences consumer purchase intention by influencing source attractiveness. Furthermore, the results reveal that the number of followers positively influences source attractiveness, source trustworthiness as well as purchase intention. All in all, this paper makes a unique contribution to product endorsement literature, with evidence highlighting how social media influencers and advertising disclosure may be used on Instagram to effectively increase consumer purchase intention.

Theory and practice supports the use of celebrity marketing, as celebrity endorsements can generate significant publicity and attention. In this way, communication and marketing goals are met for a...

Transformation of technology has developed a new place for business activity known as social commerce, where Instagram has become the most popular social commerce. In promoting products through social media, mereks often use endorsers in product endorsement. Macro influencers who have broad audience range and unique self-presentation are proven to give positive impact towards product endorsement. The effectiveness leads to a new question, how do macro influencers present themselves in a product endorsement post? This research is conducted to answer that question. The method that is used in this research is a qualitative method to identify influencer self-presentation in product endorsement. Results of this research shows that influencers do not use a different self-presentation in product endorsement. The influencer put the endorsement strategy on their post. Another finding shows that mereks have some deals in self-presentation of influencers within a product endorsement post.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of celebrity’s poses on consumer attitudes towards the endorsement advertisement by drawing from perceptual fluency hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 used a single-factor, two-condition (distinctive pose and casual pose) between-subject design. Both Study 2a and Study 2b employed a single-factor, two-condition (distinctive pose, casual pose) between-subject design and tested the mediator of pose matchiness. Study 3 employed a 2 (pose condition: distinctive, casual)×2 (cognitive capacity: no load, load) between-subject design to test the moderator. All data were sourced from more than 600 respondents in China. Findings Study 1 illustrated that the existence of a distinctive pose can lead to higher consumer attitudes regarding advertising stimuli and the endorsed brands as well as more positive behavioural intentions towards endorsed products. Study 2a and Study 2b replicated such finding and demonstrated that the feeling of pose matchiness mediates the relationship between celebrities’ pose and endorsement outcomes. Study 3 further revealed that the cognitive capacity moderates such a relationship, that is, that the effect of a distinctive pose is stronger (lesser) when audiences’ cognitive capacity is loaded (not loaded). Originality/value Research efforts to date examining the nature of celebrity advertisement have been limited to celebrity’s faces and facial expressions. Little investigation in the marketing domain has considered the consequences of celebrities’ poses. This study takes the first step in revealing the positive effect of distinctive celebrity poses in product endorsement.

Product endorsement is employed by many firms and most studies have proceeded based on management perspectives and ignored the strategic effects (or indirect effects). However, as a non-price competition, product endorsement behaviour’s strategic effects are valuable to be considered and convenient to be captured by industrial organisation perspective. So, this paper’s purpose is to reveal the strategic effects of product endorsement by industrial organisation perspective. First, the results of this paper show that celebrity endorsement decreases the rival’s benefits. Second, under a unique endorser, the lower efficiency (measured by marginal production cost) firm’s celebrity endorsement improves price difference and dispersion, which are direct effects of product endorsement. The higher efficiency firm’s endorsement promotes the producer surplus, consumer surplus and social welfare, which are called indirect effects. Finally, celebrity endorsement has trigger effects. If one firm launches celebrity endorsement, the rational reaction for its rivals is also to engage in a similar behaviour. This paper expands the celebrity endorsement issue from management to economics perspective.

BackgroundMost studies on social influencer marketing techniques have focused on the promotion of unhealthy foods whereas little is known about the promotion of healthier foods. The present experimental study investigated whether a popular real versus fictitious fit influencer is more successful in promoting healthy food products. In addition, we examined the role of parasocial interaction as an underlying mechanism of healthy food product endorsement.MethodsWe used a randomized between-subject design with 154 participants (mean age: 24.0 years). Viewers’ product attitude and purchase intention were tested after exposure to an Instagram post by a popular real fit influencer (n = 77) or fictitious fit influencer (n = 77).ResultsResults showed that parasocial interaction mediated the relation between the type of influencer and product attitude as well as purchase intention. Parasocial interaction was higher for participants exposed to the popular real fit influencer compared to the fictitious fit influencer, leading to higher healthy food brand attitude and purchase intention.DiscussionThe findings showed that it is crucial for social influencers to establish a warm personal relationship and connection with the their followers when promoting a healthy product successfully. We suggest that the promotion of healthy foods could be more successful in public health when using popular fit influencers.

Companies market their products by employing various elements in their advertisements. Previous studies have shown that the use of different types of endorsers (e.g., product experts, consumers) can result in different effects. At the same time, the use of certain appeals (rational vs. emotional) in product advertisements also matters for customer outcomes. While the extent to which the effects of message appeal depend on endorser type has received some research attention, the interaction between message appeal and endorser’s age is not yet known. A 2 (message appeal: rational vs. emotional) × 2 (endorser type: product expert vs. consumer) × 2 (endorser’s age: an endorser in his 20s vs. an endorser in his 50s) experimental study with 270 German consumers was implemented. MANOVA results indicate that only the message appeal matters for consumer outcomes such as message credibility, product attitude, and purchase intention. The hypothesized main effects for endorser type on the dependent variables are not empirically supported. Furthermore, the interaction effects for message appeal and endorser types are also not statistically significant.

The construct of attachment has received increased attention in the marketing literature in recent years, although its applications in product endorsement remain largely unexplored. Endorsement res...

Companies increasingly use micro-celebrities for product endorsement. However, there are concerns around the self-presentation and credibility of this source of information online. This study examines the relationships between source credibility, self-presentation, and consumer behavior towards micro-celebrity endorsements. In-depth interviews were conducted with 38 female active users of Instagram, from Russia, to explore the impact of micro-celebrities’ credibility and self-presentation upon consumer purchase decisions. This study attempts to construct an extended source credibility framework applicable to the online context. The findings show that users deem micro-celebrities credible if they follow certain criteria of online behavior and self-presentation.

This study examines the influence of influencers' credibility on purchase intention on Instagram. The framework in this study includes attractiveness and trustworthiness as an indicator of influencer credibility and independent variables, number of followers as moderator, and purchase intention as dependent variable. Respondents in this study were 200 Instagram users in Indonesia who had done via Instagram. The results show that attractiveness and trust have a positive effect on purchase intention. And, the number of followers moderates the relationship between attractiveness to purchase intention and trustworthiness to purchase intention. In addition, the results of this study also prove that the number of followers has a direct influence on purchase intention. This study contributes to the product endorsement literature, how an influencer can increase the purchase intention of a consumer on Instagram social media.

Fast foods companies in Zimbabwe have been outcompeting and outclassing each other in using celebrity endorsers for their marketing communications. The study aimed to investigate the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer purchase intentions. The study’s literature review was based on a copious of celebrity endorsement empirical and theoretical literature. The literature review also acted as bedrock for the research methodology which was later adopted. In order to achieve the research objectives, the study was largely quantitative where survey questionnaires were distributed to customers and these questionnaires were useful in the aggregation of the results. The findings were entered into SPSS software package version 22. The result shows that celebrity endorsement variables showed a positive and significant statistical relationship with consumer buying intentions. The study recommends for fast foods companies to gauge the capacity of celebrities to project multi-attributes which would be consistent and of interest to the consumer’s requirements. There is also the need to strengthen certain aspects of celebrity consumer relationship as way of understanding the implications for product endorsement in the fast foods industry. Key words: Celebrity credibility, celebrity endorsement, perceived expertise, physical attractiveness, purchase intentions, trustworthiness.

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is a group of symptoms that encompasses vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA), and affects more than half of all postmenopausal females. There are many etiologies that may cause GSM-like symptoms including declining hormone levels, post partum lactation, medications, and certain medical illnesses. GSM is often under-recognized by both the woman and her health care professional. VVA can cause a constellation of signs and symptoms including irritation, pain burning, and itchiness. Although systemic and local hormonal treatment is often recommended, many women may decline their use or opt for a more conservative approach. Numerous women are opting for over-the-counter products for their dryness solutions, including moisturizers, lubricants, and vulvar washes to help manage these symptoms. There is a lot of consumer confusion concerning these products, and with a plethora of varieties on the market, it is easy for the woman to get confused concerning type of products and the additives and chemical that maybe found within them. This review article summarizes the common characteristics of vaginal moisturizers, lubricants, washes, and dispels some of the misperceptions concerning common chemical/additives found in these products. It is important for the reader to note that trade names of several over-the-counter products are mentioned throughout the manuscript and this should not be interpreted as a specific product endorsement.

The article aims to analyze the forms of engagement generated from the endorsement of products by digital influencers on Instagram, considering the characteristics of their online posts. A qualitative approach was used to investigate digital influencers’ posts based on semiotic image analysis and the critical incidents technique. The results reinforced that digital platforms enable distinct forms of engagement by establishing new configurations that affect relationship marketing and promotion strategies. In particular, on Instagram, the development of engagement can involve four participants who play different social roles, expanding the process of value co-creation.

This study investigated the effect of product messages through one-person media, the growing media with great marketing potential, by conducting an experiment in which the perceived expertise of the influencer and the perceived commerciality of the message were manipulated. The results showed that when the perceived expertise of the influencer is high, the product message through one-person media generates a positive behavioural intention and attitude toward the message. The perceived commerciality, in contrast, was found to have an insignificant influence on persuasion effect. The interaction effect between the two independent variables was found to be significant. Based on the results of analysis, this study derives theoretical and practical implications for one-person media communication contexts, and suggests a direction for follow-up research.