Micro, Macro or Celebrity? The Differential Effects of Influencer Types on Consumers’ Source Credibility Perceptions and Purchase Intentions
(A2019-9374)

AUTHORS

Kristina Klein, University Bremen; Jan-Michael Becker, University of Cologne

KEYWORDS

Influencer Marketing; Advertising Disclosure; Multiple Product Endorsement

ABSTRACT

Marketing managers increasingly shift their advertising budgets to digital channels. In these channels, they plan to invest large shares in influencer marketing. Influencer are individuals that are active on social media platforms, providing content to their (numerous) followers. However, different types of influencer exist, with common classifications being based on their number of followers. Interestingly, no research so far empirically investigates the effects of different influencer types on the dimensions of source credibility and subsequent consumer behaviour (purchase intentions for an endorsed brand), even though anecdotal evidence sug-gests that these types are differently perceived in terms of credibility or trustworthiness. We investigate these differential effects under two important conditions, multiple product en-dorsement and two types of advertising disclosure. Our results offer insights for managers wanting to select influencer for their digital marketing campaigns.