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Social media influencers (contentpreneurs) are key drivers in the thriving influencer marketing industry. YouTube contentpreneurs attract loyal subscribers to become YouTube stars. The present study proposes a model and examines how the perceptions of service innovation and value co-creation influence YouTube subscribers’ loyalty. The analysis of data collected from 399 subscribers has revealed that subscriber loyalty is achieved only in the presence of customer value co-creation behavior, which is influenced by service innovation characteristics (perceived novelty, value, and relative advantage) of the content. The study findings have both theoretical and practical implications for researchers and contentpreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rise in social media users has spurred innovative marketing strategies, particularly in content consumption. ASMRtists, creators of sensational media content, are capturing attention across the business world, especially in the food and beverage industry. This study addresses a research scarcity by exploring a link between food ASMRtists (FAs) and sensory marketing using a mixed-method technique. Phase one involved a qualitative content analysis of 240 posts uploaded by the eight most-followed FAs on Instagram, examining visual and textual elements (18,912 texts). Phase two conducted a quantitative analysis of post engagement through the number of likes, views, comments, shares, featured posts, post frequency, and duration of posts. The research results depict an essential comprehension of sensory engagement for practitioners enhancing marketing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularity of social media platforms changed influencer marketing. Social media influencers also became opinion leaders. Brands can choose between traditional celebrities and social media influencers for their marketing campaigns. The present research compares the brand-related video content (n = 638) on YouTube of celebrities and social media influencers in the fashion and food industry. Taylor's message strategy, narrative transportation, and persuasion are used as content analysis frameworks. The analysis shows a difference in the message strategies adopted by celebrities and social media influencers according to the intent. The study presents implications for practitioners for creating effective branding campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and discusses social media influencers' health-related costs of keeping traction as influencers. The paper is based on interviews and social media posts. Four paradoxes highlight the social media influencers' contradictory circumstances: (1) the social media influencer's well-being is situated between not being dependent on income and earning the income to avoid monetary stress; (2) well-being becomes associated with playing a role, while authenticity is crucial for the influencer; (3) the premises of being a successful social media influencer is what creates their despair; and (4) being exposed as a healthy role model risks harming the well-being of the social media influencer. The paper takes a unique perspective on social media influencers, focusing on their well-being rather than their promotional power. The paper helps to create socially sustainable conditions for influencers, while it adds to theory through outlining influencers' paradoxical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine how globally oriented-influencers from India utilize specific strategies of content creation to negotiate with the dominant logic of platform affordances to engage with global audiences. It involves individual negotiations by the influencers with the platform affordances in creating content that foregrounds their cultural realities and aspirations while remaining relevant to global audiences. We do so by deploying the critical technocultural discourse analysis (CTDA) framework to understand influencers' strategic choices and discursive practices as they interact and negotiate with the platform affordances. Our analysis shows two processes that help the influencers communicate their content to the global audience and sustain their local connections and followership: (1) Templatization: a process through which influencers from the global South attune themselves to the technological possibilities of the platform and utilize its features to produce content with a set of replicable patterns, formats, and practices; and (2) Cultural brokering: a negotiation strategy which allows the influencers to foreground and express their quotidian lived realities and cultural experiences in an increasingly globalized digital environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media--and, in particular, social media influencers--are playing an increasingly central role in shaping public opinion on a variety of issues. The political sphere is no exception. In response to the impact that social media influencers have on citizens' political views and voting behaviors, political parties adapt their messages and policies during election campaigns. Media outlets, too, faced with competition for readership from social media, are adjusting their news coverage. To analyze the nature and extent of the impact of social media on parties' policies, media outlets' news reports, and citizens' opinions, we used a game theoretical model of electoral competition involving four key stakeholders--citizens, political parties, media outlets, and social media influencers. Our results show that with social media, parties' policy positions become more moderate while media outlets' editorial positions become more extreme. We also show that citizens' opinions may become more polarized when the influencers' true editorial positions are more homogeneous as a result of increased information distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has documented the emergence of embedded entrepreneurs within consumer collectives. This phenomenon is increasingly prevalent as social media enables ordinary consumers to become social media influencers (SMIs), a distinct form of embedded entrepreneur. Whilst research has considered the implications of embeddedness for embedded entrepreneurs themselves, we lack insight into embedded entrepreneurship's impact on consumer collectives. To address this gap, we draw from a longitudinal, qualitative study of the YouTube beauty community, where SMIs are pervasive. Informed by interactionist role theory, we document the Polanyian "double movement" prompted by the emergence of SMIs within the community. We demonstrate that the economy within the community was initially highly embedded, constrained by behavioral norms linked to established social roles. SMIs' attempts to disembed the economy created dysfunctional role dynamics that reduced the benefits of participation for non-entrepreneurial community members. This prompted a countermovement whereby SMIs and their followers attempted to re-embed SMIs' economic activity via role negotiation strategies. Our analysis sheds new light on the negative implications of embedded entrepreneurship for non-entrepreneurial members of consumer collectives, highlights the role of social media platforms in negotiations of embeddedness, and advances wider conversations surrounding the evolution of consumer collectives and the impact of SMIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To remain attractive for firms, social media influencers have to maintain and expand their followers base. However, it has been shown that they lose approximately 7.8% of their followers annually. This highlights the critical importance of understanding the reasons behind unfollowing. Despite the extensive exploration of various aspects of social media, there has been limited focus on users unfollowing social media influencers. To address this gap, this study explores the reasons behind unfollowing influencers on social media. After conducting a literature review using bibliometric analysis, the paper presents findings derived from 40 in-depth interviews with Tunisian social media users. The results shed light on two primary categories of reasons for unfollowing: those related to content and those related to the influencer. The paper offers valuable insights for both practitioners and academic scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social influences from peers, such as the perceptions of how much one's peers drink (i.e., descriptive drinking norms) are robust predictors of college drinking. In the digital age, these influences can happen on social media through viewing posts shared by peers depicting drinking (alcohol-related content). Social media influencers also post alcohol-related content and are popular among students. However, less is known about whether influencer drinking norms potentially mediate the association between viewing influencer alcohol-related content and drinking. Methods: College students who drink alcohol (N = 528) completed an online survey which assessed if they followed influencers who posted alcohol-related content, how often they perceived the influencer shared the content, influencer norms, and personal alcohol consumption and consequences. Results: Findings from two cross-sectional mediation models revealed that influencer norms mediated associations between following more influencers who shared alcohol-related content or frequency of influencer content and participant drinking. Conclusions: These findings suggest that influencer norms are uniquely linked to students' drinking habits. Further, it extends prior research in the influencer domain by examining how perceptions of how much influencers drink (i.e., descriptive norms) may impact college drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media influencers have the ability to impact the behaviours and attitudes of others (i.e. their followers), affecting people's feelings of connectedness, and well-being. This has become particularly apparent during troubled times such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which has highlighted the importance of relationships and social interactions for people's well-being. However, less attention has been paid to influencers' own well-being in a monetised attention economy, which imposes tensions between the desire for authenticity and the self-presentations of influencers in online interactions. Using in-depth interviews and netnography as methodology, in this study we examine how the decision to engage with the topic of COVID-19 on social media impacted influencers' well-being during the pandemic. We build on self-determination theory to reveal how the contentious nature of the subject led to internal struggles of influencers' self-presentation, and elucidate how influencers navigated the boundaries of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in a quest for well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst social media influencers (SMIs) excel at establishing positive parasocial relationships with their followers, they can also provoke intense negative responses, as evidenced by the prevalence of SMI-focused anti-fan communities. Prior research does not explain how consumers' parasocial relationships with SMIs become negatively charged, nor does it explain why this shift may fuel anti-fan community participation. Drawing from a netnographic study of two SMI anti-fan communities, we reveal that eroded reciprocal and disclosive intimacies, as well as exploitative commercial intimacies, can lead consumers' positive parasocial relationships with SMIs to become negatively charged. We demonstrate that anti-fan communities provide opportunities for consumers reluctant to sever ties with the SMI to sustain their negative parasocial relationship by rebuilding eroded intimacies whilst avoiding and/or retaliating against their exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background With the growing role of social media influencers (SMIs) in providing health advice, concerns arise regarding the usefulness and reliability of online health information. This exploratory research focuses on health expert content creators (HECCs), who offer a unique perspective due to their combined medical knowledge and social media expertise. Methods We conducted semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews with HECCs to explore their views on SMI-driven health communication, their motivations for participating on social media, and the strategies they employ to counteract misleading health messages on the platforms. The study employed thematic qualitative text analysis to identify key themes and patterns. Results HECCs highlighted the complex role of SMIs in public health, acknowledging their potential to promote positive health behaviors while also noting the risks associated with the spread of inaccurate or oversimplified health messages. The findings emphasize the urgent need to broaden health communication research to address not only misinformation but also overgeneralized health messaging, which can be equally detrimental. Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of expanding health communication research to address both misinformation and overgeneralized health messaging. Practical recommendations are provided to mitigate the spread of misleading health information by SMIs, informed by the experiences and strategies of HECCs.

Social media influencers and opinion leaders are an important social phenomenon. As social networks become more important in all spheres of life, the communicative distance between the media producer and the media consumer keeps shrinking, marking a focus shift to content consumption. Creative industries are an important factor in developing social media influencers. This research features the social factors that contribute to the formation and sustainability of social media influencers through creative industries. The authors conducted a content analysis of documentary sources published as textual or visual content on various media platforms, i.e., social networks, video hosting, or blogs, to identify the key topics, images, and representations broadcast by opinion leaders. A secondary analysis of sociological research data and online analytical reviews made it possible to study the influence of opinion leaders on public attitudes and consumer behavior, including by means of creative industries. The data obtained were processed using the SPSS statistical package and data analysis software. The formation of social media influencers proved to be a complex process, where social determinants are even more important than economic, political, or other aspects. The research revealed nine groups of factors in shaping the social media influencers that target young population: technology; popularity; publicity; media coverage; the role of social capital and its monetization; media trends and representations formed by million-follower bloggers; influence on social behavior; personal qualities; risk factors. Social media influencers act through creativity, creative industries, expressive and visual means of musical and plastic arts, etc. They are strategically important stakeholders in business and other social spheres as they shape the current behavioral patterns of young people.

Prior research examines how social media use in general affects experiences of loneliness, but few studies have investigated the specific effects of interaction with social media influencers on loneliness and well-being. The study investigates how followers’ interaction with social media influencers affects loneliness through mediation mechanisms underlying this process.

Building on Social Comparison Theory and Parasocial Relationship Theory, this study is designed to investigate how followers’ wishful identification with YouTube influencers is associated with their psychological well-being and how parasocial relationships with influencers moderate this association.

The South African beauty and personal care industry has been significantly impacted by digital technologies, with social media influencers (SMIs) playing a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviour. Despite the significant role of SMIs, there is a notable research gap in optimising their influence to boost customer engagement and drive sales. This study addresses this gap by introducing a comprehensive digital framework integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation to enhance influencer marketing (IM) strategies in South Africa’s beauty and personal care industry. The primary objective is to present a novel approach that digitally overlays traditional SMI marketing processes, enhancing engagement and effectiveness. A mixed-method approach was employed, integrating quantitative data from web scraping and sentiment analysis (SA) of Instagram posts with qualitative insights from the existing literature. This approach facilitated data-driven decision-making and optimised IM efficacy through technology-driven feedback analysis. The empirical findings confirmed that incorporating AI into influencer marketing (IM) campaigns significantly improves data collection and sentiment analysis, enhancing consumer engagement and purchase intent. This study underscores the transformative impact of digitalisation on marketing practices and the potential of digital tools to optimise SMI strategies in the beauty and personal care sector. This research also provides a valuable framework for marketers aiming to enhance IM campaigns, emphasising the strategic advantage of an automated response workflow based on feedback analysis. This study contributes to developing more impactful digital marketing strategies, maximising the effect of SMIs, and ensuring market competitiveness.

Background: With the growing role of social media influencers (SMIs) in providing health advice, concerns arise regarding the usefulness and reliability of online health information. This exploratory research focuses on health expert content creators (HECCs), who offer a unique perspective due to their combined medical knowledge and social media expertise. Methods: We conducted semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews with HECCs to explore their views on SMI-driven health communication, their motivations for participating on social media, and the strategies they employ to counteract misleading health messages on the platforms. The study employed thematic qualitative text analysis to identify key themes and patterns. Results: HECCs highlighted the complex role of SMIs in public health, acknowledging their potential to promote positive health behaviors while also noting the risks associated with the spread of inaccurate or oversimplified health messages. The findings emphasize the urgent need to broaden health communication research to address not only misinformation but also overgeneralized health messaging, which can be equally detrimental. Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of expanding health communication research to address both misinformation and overgeneralized health messaging. Practical recommendations are provided to mitigate the spread of misleading health information by SMIs, informed by the experiences and strategies of HECCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although live streaming via social media offers consumers real-time shopping experiences and potentially increases sales volume, the intangible values carried by live streaming from the streamer's perspective are relatively unknown. Building upon the Trust Transfer Theory, this study examined the values behind Instagram live streaming that could potentially build young consumers' trust in and engagement with social commerce sellers. Known for its visually appealing content, simplicity, speed, and mobility, Instagram is unlike other social media platform. More importantly, its targeting ability makes it an influencer dominant social media platform. Analysis using dual-stage PLS-SEM and ANN from 209 respondents revealed that utilitarian and symbolic values significantly influence trust, which subsequently builds customer engagement. Hedonic values and economic values, on the other hand, were found to play no significant role in building trust and customer engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Veche is the property of Ataturk University Coordinatorship of Scientific Journals and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The South African beauty and personal care industry has been significantly impacted by digital technologies, with social media influencers (SMIs) playing a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviour. Despite the significant role of SMIs, there is a notable research gap in optimising their influence to boost customer engagement and drive sales. This study addresses this gap by introducing a comprehensive digital framework integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation to enhance influencer marketing (IM) strategies in South Africa's beauty and personal care industry. The primary objective is to present a novel approach that digitally overlays traditional SMI marketing processes, enhancing engagement and effectiveness. A mixed-method approach was employed, integrating quantitative data from web scraping and sentiment analysis (SA) of Instagram posts with qualitative insights from the existing literature. This approach facilitated data-driven decision-making and optimised IM efficacy through technology-driven feedback analysis. The empirical findings confirmed that incorporating AI into influencer marketing (IM) campaigns significantly improves data collection and sentiment analysis, enhancing consumer engagement and purchase intent. This study underscores the transformative impact of digitalisation on marketing practices and the potential of digital tools to optimise SMI strategies in the beauty and personal care sector. This research also provides a valuable framework for marketers aiming to enhance IM campaigns, emphasising the strategic advantage of an automated response workflow based on feedback analysis. This study contributes to developing more impactful digital marketing strategies, maximising the effect of SMIs, and ensuring market competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study explores how social media influencers (SMIs), acting as digital entrepreneurs, shape followers’ parasocial relationships, flow, and attachment. It also examines how the perceived authenticity of SMIs moderates these effects. The research involved 749 participants from India who interacted with or followed SMIs on social media. Using AMOS 26 for data analysis, the findings reveal a strong positive link between source credibility and attachment, especially for non-authenticated SMIs. These influencers build trust and emotional connections through transparent collaborations. The study also highlights the role of parasocial relationships and homophily in driving attachment. As the digital landscape evolves, this research offers key insights into the dynamics of influencer-follower relationships, providing a foundation for future studies on digital entrepreneurship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental influencers have gained immense popularity on social media, promoting a sustainable lifestyle by interweaving environmental topics with their everyday content. Drawing from the theoretical approach of parasocial opinion leaders, we investigate, for the first time, the implications of environmental influencers for different dimensions of youth's participation behavior, and whether parasocial relationships (PSRs) with influencers moderate these associations. We used data from a cross-sectional (N = 576) and a two-wave panel survey (N T2 = 496) among German 16- to 25-year-olds. Findings across both studies showed that following influencers who address green topics was related to higher engagement in political sphere-oriented participation (e.g. signing a petition) as well as cause-oriented participation (e.g. politically motivated consumerism). In the long term, low to moderate PSR increased the impact of environmental content on cause-oriented participation, while high PSRs seem to overshadow the environmental content directing more attention to relational rather than informational content aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study investigates the impact of social media reviews and brand identity on consumer preferences in the non-surgical aesthetics products across different generations. It highlights the evolving landscape of aesthetic medicine and surgery, driven by technological advancements and a cultural shift towards individual well-being. The research aims to explore the interplay between generational preferences, the influence of social media, and the role of brand identity in shaping consumer decisions. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, with a sample size of > 5000 participants stratified across various generational cohorts. The study utilized an online questionnaire to capture both quantitative and qualitative insights into consumer behaviour, with statistical analysis performed to identify patterns and relationships. Results: Analysis of 5850 responses revealed distinct generational preferences and behaviours. Social media engagement varied significantly across generations, with younger cohorts placing a higher emphasis on online reviews. The study also found that brand identity's influence is diminishing in decision-making processes, with consumers increasingly relying on peer reviews and social media content. Conclusion: The findings highlight a pivotal shift in the non-surgical aesthetics consumer market, emphasizing the growing importance of social media and peer reviews over traditional brand identities. Importantly, the study underscores the critical need for integrating patient safety and evidence-based practice within marketing strategies. As consumer preferences evolve towards valuing transparency and authenticity, non-surgical aesthetics providers must prioritize these elements, ensuring that their services are not only appealing but also grounded in safety and scientific validity. Level of Evidence IV: "This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular personalities like social media influencers (SMIs) and traditional celebrities can not only be used in the context of for‐profit marketing, but also help non‐profit campaigns address young audiences. Across three experiments (NTotal = 1233), we compared the effectiveness of SMIs' mobilizing appeals in relation to a humanitarian issue to those made by traditional celebrities. Inspired by meaning transfer theory, we expected SMIs and their endorsements to be perceived as particularly authentic, elucidating their possibly unique influence on young people's participation. In Study 1, mobilizing appeals from popular personalities generally increased participation intentions among young people, but SMIs were not more effective in this role than celebrities. Study 2 and Study 3 showed that effects of the two source types are dependent on gender. Controlling for source and endorsement authenticity, we found that SMIs were better at directly mobilizing young women for political participation than celebrities. In contrast, young men were more easily convinced by celebrities to engage in political action, due to higher authenticity attributed to celebrities' endorsements. While SMIs were not consistently perceived as more authentic than celebrities, the success of popular personalities' mobilizing appeals can generally be well explained by perceived source authenticity and perceived authenticity of endorsements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence and computer‐generated imagery, virtual influencers (VIs) have become prominent branding tools that command high engagement rates. Most extant research explores the marketing outcomes of using VIs in brand campaigns. However, little is known about how interacting with VIs on social media platforms may affect consumers' well‐being. This research takes a comprehensive approach, developing a nuanced understanding of whether (and how) human‐like VIs (HVIs) impact consumers' well‐being. We employ a conceptual development approach drawing on scholarship from influencer marketing, narrative transportation, and consumer well‐being and gather additional support for the conceptual framework from data collected by interviewing 25 followers of HVIs. The conceptual framework proposes that when interacting with influencers' social media posts, followers experience narrative transportation, which positively influences followers' hedonic and eudaimonic well‐being. However, the conceptual framework also proposes that these relationships are moderated by the type of influencer (human vs. virtual) sharing the post. Specifically, we suggest that interactions with HVIs provide followers with enjoyment (hedonic well‐being) and support their self‐acceptance, personal growth, relationships, and autonomy (eudaimonic well‐being). We also provide initial evidence of the favorable marketing outcomes of enhanced well‐being from engagement with HVIs, including contemplation of brand purchase. The study thus advances extant VI literature by proposing a theoretically and empirically informed conceptual model that examines HVIs' influence on consumer well‐being. Also, it contributes to addressing the broader calls for research on the impact of social media and influencer marketing on consumer well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media influencers (SMIs) are not only important players in marketing but have also repeatedly posted about political issues on their channels. Yet, we lack insights into the prevalence of their political communication, their portrayal of different political subjects, and factors driving content popularity among audiences. This comparative study tackles these gaps: Quota-based youth surveys in Germany and Belgium (NTotal = 2,800) informed a YouTube content analysis in both countries (NTotal = 5,740), which was complemented by video metadata (i.e. views and likes per views on videos). Our findings show that most youth encounter political content from SMIs, but on a more occasional basis. Correspondingly, we found that most of the SMIs in our sample addressed political topics rather sporadically. However, their political videos received more views and likes than their nonpolitical content, implying that their discussion of meaningful subjects garners audiences’ attention. Our five-year analysis further suggests that political topics have become more prevalent in their content over time, pointing to an upwards trend in their political communication in recent years. Moreover, findings indicate that lifestyle-based political topics (e.g., gender, health) are most frequently discussed by SMIs. Generally, political topics were most often presented in the form of commentaries or reaction videos, which has several theoretical implications. Last, our results demonstrate that commentary-style videos and those characterized by high infotainment are most liked by audiences, showing that this type of content resonates strongly with SMIs’ viewers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) aims at advocating against suicide and changing the way mental health is addressed in everyday conversation. Social learning theory (SLT) explains how people imitate others’ behaviors—for example, through a process called learning by imitation. Observation and imitation are vital aspects of how people develop behaviors and habits. One of these behaviors is highly negative and controversial: suicide and the unhealthy mental health relationships that come with it. People can emulate the death of another by copying their behavior, sometimes without even entirely meaning to do so. This paper applies the tenets of SLT—i.e. attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation—to aspects of CALM and to the negative impacts of phenomena such as social media influencers (SMIs) and celebrity suicides. What makes this approach interesting is that the CALM campaign can benefit from the use of one of the longest-established theories in the fields of psychology and communication. More precisely, regarding mental health and the media, most studies have focused on how social media is causing depression or anxiety. This is why this manuscript adds fresh insights by using key SLT precepts to raise awareness as to how these suicidal thoughts and symptoms form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although smartphone ownership among minors has become an important social phenomenon, its impact on children's and adolescents' well-being, as well as the mechanisms by which this might take place are not yet sufficiently well-established. To date, no research has examined the effect of smartphone ownership on the well-being of minors through the consumption of influencer-generated content, nor has it explored the effectiveness of the main prevention strategies employed by parents in this context. To fill those gaps, 800 Spanish minors (50% female) aged from 8 to 16 years old (M = 12.33, SD = 2.38) participated in a correlational study in which the ownership of electronic devices, the consumption of influencer generated content, the parasocial relationship with the influencer, and the most common parental mediation strategies were considered. The results showed a positive association between electronic device ownership and psychological discomfort, problematic usage, and imitation of dangerous behaviors. This association was mediated by the consumption of influencer-generated content and the parasocial relationship established by the minor with the influencer. Regarding preventive strategies, only active mediation was inversely related to poorer well-being indicators, however this positive effect significantly decreased when a smartphone or a similar electronic device was owned by the minor (vs. no owned). These findings contribute to the understanding of how smartphone ownership can affect the well-being of children, emphasizing the need for thoughtful consideration when deciding whether to provide smartphones to minors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is crucial for the prevention of cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases. However, the introduction of the vaccine in Nigeria has been received with scepticism due to widespread misinformation, leading to vaccine hesitancy. Conversely, social media has become a powerful medium for disseminating false information. Using the social influence theory, this study investigated the effectiveness of social media influencers in correcting misconceptions about the HPV vaccine, reducing vaccine hesitancy, and promoting uptake. Methods: Eight social media influencers (with 1,000-23,000 followers) were engaged. A pre-post quasi-experimental, mixed methods study design was employed, including baseline key informant interviews of the influencers and quantitative surveys of their audiences. Data was analysed using SPSS and NVivo.Baseline data on HPV-related discussions were collected across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok using an AI-powered social listening tool, thematically analysed, and insights used to develop targeted messages which were disseminated across platforms using pre-determined hashtags. Dissemination formats included infographics, videos, and interactive live sessions. Interviews and surveys were repeated post-intervention and compared to baseline. Results: The influencers amplified the key messages with 189 posts in different formats, including infographics (178), videos (3) and live sessions (8). This generated 82,014 views and 87,672 interactions.There were 224 survey respondents across 21 states, with Kano, Kaduna and Lagos as the most represented states. Majority of respondents were males, accounting for 87% and 77% at baseline and end line respectively. Most predominant age group was 25-34 years old, comprising 50% at both baseline and end-line. The most common reason for not vaccinating eligible girls was lack of sufficient information, cited by 64% of the respondents at baseline and 21% at end-line; the second most common reason was fear of side effects, 7% at baseline and 51% at end-line. Awareness of the HPV vaccine increased from 50% to 80%, vaccination rates among eligible girls increased from 30% to 50%, and willingness to recommend the vaccine increased from 50% to 60%. Discussion: The study findings highlight the potential of trusted social media influencers in reducing vaccine hesitancy. However, the data shows that this approach might not be very effective in addressing fears about side effects, as this might require a more targeted approach with experts, corroborated by similar studies on influencers' impact in communicating topics requiring a high level of expertise. Thus, influencers’ effectiveness might be enhanced by capacity building. Future research should include longitudinal studies to assess the long-term effects of influencer-led interventions on vaccine uptake. Conclusion: Social media influencers can be effective, trusted messengers for public health campaigns. Vaccination campaigns can leverage them to address hesitancy and boost acceptance.

Influencer marketing involves multiple stakeholders. Research, however, has predominately explored key influencer marketing concepts, such as disclosure for native advertising from a consumer perspective. In addition, a review of the literature identifies other factors such as content cues and emotions, which may be important in providing a comprehensive understanding of influencer marketing. To address these gaps, this research adopted an exploratory research design using convergent interviews with the three key stakeholder groups consumers, influencers and brands. The findings reveal that beyond disclosure, other content cues within influencer marketing can contribute to advertising recognition. Further, from the perspective of brands, influencers are perceived to have unique credibility attributes relating to expertise on social media platforms and product categories. Emotional responses in influencer marketing are also shown to be predominately positive and directed towards influencers rather than brands, with potential for this to be transferred to the brand through emotional contagion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Madiun District Government held the Bulan Timbang Serentak as a step to identify and prevent stunting early on. There is a problem of low participation in the program so a more effective promotion strategy is needed. However, there is a problem of low participation in participating in the program so a more effective promotion strategy is needed. In this case, the public relations department of the Madiun District Government collaborated with social media influencers/SMIs to help the Bulan Timbang Serentak campaign. The purpose of this study is to describe the Madiun Regency Government's Public Relations Strategy in campaigning for Bulan Timbang Serentak with Influencers to build public participation. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a case study research type. The research data was collected by interviewing authorized officials in the Madiun District Government, namely Madiun District Government Public Relations and one of the SMI account owners with the highest engagement who collaborated in campaigning for the Bulan Timbang Serentak. To explore the strategy, the researcher used the Four Steps of Public Relations Theory (Cutlip et al., 2006). In general, the results showed that the Madiun District Government Public Relations applied the Four Steps of Public Relations in conducting its strategy.

Prior research on social media influencers (SMIs) often examined questions such as their model of communication with followers, ethical concerns, motivations, and ways of gaining capital. How influencers curate intense and intimate relations and strategize their content creation, and how the influencer industry takes a toll on their physical and psychological wellbeing should be carefully addressed. To fill in this gap, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 SMIs. The findings advance the literature on influencers and influencer advertising by explicating the ways through which influencers maintain intimate and engaged relations with followers, including providing value, creating emotional bond, interacting and co-creating with followers, and disclosing personal life. Second, this research identifies and theorizes four principles - authenticity, topic sensitivity, fact-checking, and strategic sharing of privacy - under which influencers strategize content creations in building human brands. Last, our findings add to the ongoing literature on digital labor by expounding the downsides of influencers being digital labor. This research contributes to the understudied aspect regarding influencers' wellbeing and strategies employed in content creation and relation management in the current influencer literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study empirically investigates brand hate experiences and the impact on consumers' patronage intentions as well as on electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) via social media. It further examines the involvement of social media influencers (SMIs) in these relationships. Through a quantitative approach, data from 1034 social media respondents were collected via a web-based survey questionnaire using Google Forms. The findings demonstrate that brand hate emotions play a significant role in shaping negative e-WOM on social media and contribute to reduced patronage intentions towardss brands. Moreover, the study reveals that the personas of SMIs and their content exert varying degrees of influence, contributing to ameliorating effects on these relationships. Theoretically, this research represents a pioneering effort, offering fresh insights into how influencer content and personas can affect consumer brand hate reactions, which has not been extensively addressed in existing literature. For brands and managers, the study proffers, amongst other submissions, the need to safeguard brand reputation with the aid of social media monitoring tools, as well as partnering with genuine SMIs whose content align with the brand's strategy, since influencers' interventions can impact consumer sentiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that in search markets an influencer who recommends a product to her followers improves consumer surplus and total welfare despite the firm paying for her recommendation. As consumers learn their value for the product upon search, they will not buy at the recommended firm if they learn their value is low. The threat of search incentivizes firms to offer the influencer a financial contract involving a commission and incentivizes the influencer to be honest in her recommendation. Provided the influencer's search cost is not too high, she also has an incentive to acquire information and give informative recommendations. These informative equilibria are more difficult to sustain if influencers compete with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Social media has introduced influencers and influencer marketing (IM), which is becoming increasingly popular among marketers. The effectiveness of IM is significantly influenced by parasocial interactions (PSI) and parasocial relationships (PSR) that develop between followers and influencers. Historically, a variety of scales have been used to measure PSI and PSR, raising concerns about the comparability of research results. Given the recent growth of IM and the importance of PSI and PSR within it, we aimed to examine how these constructs are measured in IM. We conducted a literature review, analyzing 72 studies focused on the empirical measurement of PSI and PSR. We found a significant heterogeneity in the measurement of PSI and PSR, identifying 26 scales for PSI and 29 scales for PSR, with two scales being used for measuring both PSI and PSR. This high degree of variability among scales that are supposed to measure the same constructs raises questions about the comparability of the results. We identified a critical need for clearer conceptual and empirical differentiation between PSI and PSR, which should be reflected in the development of measurement instruments. It is essential to develop reliable and valid scales that account for these differences and distinctly measure PSI and PSR in IM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the significant impact of social media influencers on consumer purchasing behavior, focusing on the role of credibility and trustworthiness. A robust quantitative research approach was used to collect data from an online survey of 500 consumers who actively follow social media influencers. The results show a significant and positive relationship between social media influencers and consumer purchasing behavior. Notably, the credibility of these influencers and the nature of the products or services they promote emerge as important factors influencing consumer decisions. This study offers useful insights for marketers, emphasizing the importance of strategically selecting influencers and cultivating long-term relationships to increase credibility and trustworthiness. These findings provide practical advice for improving influencer marketing strategies and engaging with target audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have focused on how source credibility and fairness influence parasocial relationships and product interest, and how product interest impacts consumers' purchase intentions towards new products. But few have examined how these factors can influence purchase intention and eWOM, so this study aims to fill the gap, focusing on Indonesian beauty influencers on Instagram. With 501 respondents, this study used SPSS 26 (pre-test) and SmartPLS for data analysis. The results show that: the variables of attractiveness, similarity, and trustworthiness have a significant and positive effect on parasocial relationships; similarity has a significant and positive effect on product interest. Interpersonal fairness and informational fairness have a positive and significant effect on parasocial relationships; and distributive fairness has a positive and significant effect on product interest. Parasocial relationship has a significant and positive effect on product interest, purchase intention, and eWOM. Product interest has a significant and positive effect on purchase intention and eWOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media has emerged as a powerful tool for fostering inclusivity, enabling people with disabilities to convey diverse messages to broad audiences. The TikTok account @jennifernatalie_ exemplifies this by delivering educational content on sign language. As a deaf Social Media Influencer (SMI), @jennifernatalie_ has successfully engaged her followers despite communication challenges. This research aims to analyze the communication strategies employed by @jennifernatalie_ in promoting sign language education on TikTok. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the study examined 112 short videos from the Sign Language playlist on @jennifernatalie_’s TikTok, supplemented by relevant literature. The findings reveal that @jennifernatalie_ employs specific strategies to effectively deliver sign language education. These include using TikTok’s features, such as closed captions, to enhance accessibility and involving her child as a co-communicator, which adds relatability and diversity to the content. Her messaging targets both disabled and non-disabled audiences, extending her reach and impact. Additionally, she utilizes other platforms like Instagram and YouTube to support her educational efforts. The study highlights @jennifernatalie_’s ability to bridge communication gaps through social media, demonstrating how influencers can educate and raise awareness on important issues. This suggests a model for other educators and influencers to emulate in their efforts to promote inclusivity and accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon the Persuasion Knowledge Model, this study investigates the boundary conditions and psychological mechanisms aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) advertising when conveyed by social media influencers (SMI) targeting Generation Z consumers. To this end, two experiments were conducted to examine the interaction impacts of disclosure prominence (implicit vs. explicit), endorsement type (brand vs. CSR), and perceived similarity on online behavioral intentions, mediated by perceptions of manipulativeness. The findings of Study 1 revealed that implicit disclosure played a more significant role in eliciting positive behavioral intentions to SMI-CSR advertising, while the opposite results were found for SMI-brand advertising. The results of Study 2 demonstrated that explicit disclosure was less likely to generate perceived manipulativeness toward SMI-CSR ads endorsed by SMIs with low similarity. However, the level of perceived manipulativeness was similar for SMI-CSR ads by SMIs with high similarity regardless of disclosure prominence. Notably, perceived manipulativeness emerged as a significant mediator underlying these interactions in both studies. The theoretical and practical implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]