IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v156y2023ics0148296322009419.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Endorsement effectiveness of different social media influencers: The moderating effect of brand competence and warmth

Author

Listed:
  • Ren, Shengnan
  • Karimi, Sahar
  • Bravo Velázquez, Alberto
  • Cai, Jianfeng

Abstract

This research introduces a novel classification for social media influencers, namely informers and entertainers, and examines the impact of influencer type on engagement and online sales. Our findings suggest that endorsements by influencers who take on an entertainer role attract more engagement (number of views, likes, and comments) than endorsements by influencers who are informers. Furthermore, drawing on an influencer–brand congruency theory, the moderating effect of brand stereotypes is examined. We show that informers (vs entertainers) generate more online sales when endorsing competent brands. Contrarily, when endorsing warm and warm-competent brands, there is no significant difference between the two types of influencers. This study reaffirms the importance of identifying and selecting “fitting” influencers for brands and informs advertisers about the way brand stereotypes moderate the effectiveness of influencer marketing.

Suggested Citation

  • Ren, Shengnan & Karimi, Sahar & Bravo Velázquez, Alberto & Cai, Jianfeng, 2023. "Endorsement effectiveness of different social media influencers: The moderating effect of brand competence and warmth," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:156:y:2023:i:c:s0148296322009419
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113476
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296322009419
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113476?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Björn Ivens & Alexander Leischnig & Brigitte Muller & Katharina Valta, 2015. "On the role of brand stereotypes in shaping consumer response toward brands: an empirical examination of direct and mediating effects of warmth and competence," Post-Print hal-01427971, HAL.
    2. Björn Ivens & Brigitte Muller & Alexander Leischnig & Katharina Valta, 2015. "On the Role of Brand Stereotypes in Shaping Consumer Response toward Brands: An Empirical Examination of Direct and Mediating Effects of Warmth and Competence," Post-Print hal-01796284, HAL.
    3. Jennifer Aaker & Kathleen D. Vohs & Cassie Mogilner, 2010. "Nonprofits Are Seen as Warm and For-Profits as Competent: Firm Stereotypes Matter," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(2), pages 224-237, August.
    4. Sokolova, Karina & Kefi, Hajer, 2020. "Instagram and YouTube bloggers promote it, why should I buy? How credibility and parasocial interaction influence purchase intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    5. Bellman, Steven & Potter, Robert F. & Treleaven-Hassard, Shiree & Robinson, Jennifer A. & Varan, Duane, 2011. "The Effectiveness of Branded Mobile Phone Apps," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 191-200.
    6. Moldovan, Sarit & Steinhart, Yael & Lehmann, Donald R., 2019. "Propagators, Creativity, and Informativeness: What Helps Ads Go Viral," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 102-114.
    7. Yaping Chang & You Li & Jun Yan & V. Kumar, 2019. "Getting more likes: the impact of narrative person and brand image on customer–brand interactions," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1027-1045, November.
    8. Aaker, Jennifer & Vohs, Kathleen D. & Mogilner, Cassie, 2010. "Non-profits Are Seen as Warm and For-Profits as Competent: Firm Stereotypes Matter," Research Papers 2047, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    9. Rietveld, Robert & van Dolen, Willemijn & Mazloom, Masoud & Worring, Marcel, 2020. "What You Feel, Is What You Like Influence of Message Appeals on Customer Engagement on Instagram," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 20-53.
    10. Hu, Lixia & Min, Qingfei & Han, Shengnan & Liu, Zhiyong, 2020. "Understanding followers’ stickiness to digital influencers: The effect of psychological responses," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    11. Shehu, Edlira & Bijmolt, Tammo H.A. & Clement, Michel, 2016. "Effects of Likeability Dynamics on Consumers' Intention to Share Online Video Advertisements," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 27-43.
    12. Belanche, Daniel & Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Marta & Ibáñez-Sánchez, Sergio, 2021. "Understanding influencer marketing: The role of congruence between influencers, products and consumers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 186-195.
    13. Fine F. Leung & Flora F. Gu & Robert W. Palmatier, 2022. "Online influencer marketing," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 226-251, March.
    14. Lee, Michael T. & Theokary, Carol, 2021. "The superstar social media influencer: Exploiting linguistic style and emotional contagion over content?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 860-871.
    15. Portal, Sivan & Abratt, Russell & Bendixen, Michael, 2018. "Building a human brand: Brand anthropomorphism unravelled," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 367-374.
    16. Kim, Do Yuon & Kim, Hye-Young, 2021. "Influencer advertising on social media: The multiple inference model on influencer-product congruence and sponsorship disclosure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 405-415.
    17. Fournier, Susan, 1998. "Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 24(4), pages 343-373, March.
    18. Bernritter, Stefan F. & Verlegh, Peeter W.J. & Smit, Edith G., 2016. "Why Nonprofits Are Easier to Endorse on Social Media: The Roles of Warmth and Brand Symbolism," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 27-42.
    19. Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Carlos & Ibáñez-Sánchez, Sergio, 2021. "Be creative, my friend! Engaging users on Instagram by promoting positive emotions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 416-425.
    20. Tafesse, Wondwesen & Wood, Bronwyn P., 2021. "Followers' engagement with instagram influencers: The role of influencers’ content and engagement strategy," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    21. Lin, Hsin-Chen & Bruning, Patrick F. & Swarna, Hepsi, 2018. "Using online opinion leaders to promote the hedonic and utilitarian value of products and services," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 431-442.
    22. Matthijs Meire & Kelly Hewett & Michel Ballings & V. Kumar & Dirk van den Poel, 2019. "The Role of Marketer-Generated Content in Customer Engagement Marketing," Post-Print hal-02509303, HAL.
    23. Scarpi, Daniele, 2012. "Work and Fun on the Internet: The Effects of Utilitarianism and Hedonism Online," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 53-67.
    24. Motoki, Kosuke & Suzuki, Shinsuke & Kawashima, Ryuta & Sugiura, Motoaki, 2020. "A Combination of Self-Reported Data and Social-Related Neural Measures Forecasts Viral Marketing Success on Social Media," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 99-117.
    25. Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Carlos & Ibáñez-Sánchez, Sergio, 2020. "Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 510-519.
    26. Akdim, Khaoula & Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Carlos, 2022. "The role of utilitarian and hedonic aspects in the continuance intention to use social mobile apps," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    27. Gentina, Elodie & Chen, Rui & Yang, Zhiyong, 2021. "Development of theory of mind on online social networks: Evidence from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 652-666.
    28. Campbell, Colin & Farrell, Justine Rapp, 2020. "More than meets the eye: The functional components underlying influencer marketing," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 469-479.
    29. Hollebeek, Linda D. & Macky, Keith, 2019. "Digital Content Marketing's Role in Fostering Consumer Engagement, Trust, and Value: Framework, Fundamental Propositions, and Implications," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 27-41.
    30. Belanche, Daniel & Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Marta & Ibáñez-Sánchez, Sergio, 2021. "Building influencers' credibility on Instagram: Effects on followers’ attitudes and behavioral responses toward the influencer," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 61(C).
    31. Sahar Karimi, 2021. "Cross-visiting Behaviour of Online Consumers Across Retailers’ and Comparison Sites, a Macro-Study," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 531-542, June.
    32. Kolbl, Živa & Arslanagic-Kalajdzic, Maja & Diamantopoulos, Adamantios, 2019. "Stereotyping global brands: Is warmth more important than competence?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 614-621.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Federico Mangiò & Giuseppe Pedeliento & Daniela Andreini & Lia Zarantonello, 2024. "How persuasive is woke brand communication on social media? Evidence from a consumer engagement analysis on Facebook," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(4), pages 345-381, July.
    2. Li, Wenting & Zhao, Fang & Lee, Ji Min & Park, Jiwoon & Septianto, Felix & Seo, Yuri, 2024. "How micro- (vs. mega-) influencers generate word of mouth in the digital economy age: The moderating role of mindset," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    3. Wong, Amy & Wei, Joicey, 2023. "Persuasive cues and reciprocal behaviors in influencer-follower relationships: The mediating role of influencer defense," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    4. Sara Javed & Md Salamun Rashidin & Wang Jian, 2024. "Effects of heuristic and systematic cues on perceived content credibility of Sina Weibo influencers: the moderating role of involvement," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Syrdal, Holly A. & Myers, Susan & Sen, Sandipan & Woodroof, Parker J. & McDowell, William C., 2023. "Influencer marketing and the growth of affiliates: The effects of language features on engagement behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    6. Zhao, Xiaowen & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Shan, Minghui & Cao, Rui & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2024. "“Informers†or “entertainers†: The effect of social media influencers on consumers' green consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    7. Li, Huajun & Lei, Yueqiu & Zhou, Qi & Yuan, Hong, 2023. "Can you sense without being human? Comparing virtual and human influencers endorsement effectiveness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barta, Sergio & Belanche, Daniel & Fernández, Ana & Flavián, Marta, 2023. "Influencer marketing on TikTok: The effectiveness of humor and followers’ hedonic experience," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Kolbl, Živa & Diamantopoulos, Adamantios & Arslanagic-Kalajdzic, Maja & Zabkar, Vesna, 2020. "Do brand warmth and brand competence add value to consumers? A stereotyping perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 346-362.
    3. Wei, Zihan & Zhang, Mingli & Qiao, Tong, 2022. "Effect of personal branding stereotypes on user engagement on short-video platforms," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    4. Alcántara-Pilar, Juan Miguel & Rodriguez-López, María Eugenia & Kalinić, Zoran & Liébana-Cabanillas, Francisco, 2024. "From likes to loyalty: Exploring the impact of influencer credibility on purchase intentions in TikTok," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Japutra, Arnold & Molinillo, Sebastian & Wang, Shasha, 2018. "Aesthetic or self-expressiveness? Linking brand logo benefits, brand stereotypes and relationship quality," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 191-200.
    6. Cheung, Man Lai & Leung, Wilson K.S. & Aw, Eugene Cheng-Xi & Koay, Kian Yeik, 2022. "“I follow what you post!†: The role of social media influencers’ content characteristics in consumers' online brand-related activities (COBRAs)," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    7. Delgado-Ballester, Elena & Fernandez-Sabiote, Estela, 2024. "Brand Stereotypes: On the relationships with gendered brand personality and agentic and communal values in fostering Consumer–Brand identification," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    8. Chen Pang & Jie Zhou & Xiaofen Ji, 2022. "The Effects of Chinese Consumers’ Brand Green Stereotypes on Purchasing Intention toward Upcycled Clothing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-18, December.
    9. Eigenraam, Anniek W. & Eelen, Jiska & Verlegh, Peeter W.J., 2021. "Let Me Entertain You? The Importance of Authenticity in Online Customer Engagement," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 53-68.
    10. Conde, Rita & Casais, Beatriz, 2023. "Micro, macro and mega-influencers on instagram: The power of persuasion via the parasocial relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    11. Portal, Sivan & Abratt, Russell & Bendixen, Michael, 2018. "Building a human brand: Brand anthropomorphism unravelled," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 367-374.
    12. Shuqair, Saleh & Filieri, Raffaele & Viglia, Giampaolo & Mattila, Anna S. & Costa Pinto, Diego, 2024. "Leveraging online selling through social media influencers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    13. Lee, Kuo-Wei & Li, Chia-Ying, 2023. "It is not merely a chat: Transforming chatbot affordances into dual identification and loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    14. Zhou, Zhimin & Ding, Yi & Feng, Wenting & Ke, Nianman, 2021. "Extending B2B brands into the B2C market: Whether, when, and how brands should emphasize B2B industry background," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 364-375.
    15. Li, Wenting & Zhao, Fang & Lee, Ji Min & Park, Jiwoon & Septianto, Felix & Seo, Yuri, 2024. "How micro- (vs. mega-) influencers generate word of mouth in the digital economy age: The moderating role of mindset," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    16. Rosengren, Sara & Campbell, Colin & Rapp Farrell, Justine, 2024. "Tricks of the trade: Understanding and utilizing influencer tactics to improve retailer performance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    17. Sharma, Monika & Rahman, Zillur, 2022. "Anthropomorphic brand management: An integrated review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 463-475.
    18. Wong, Amy & Wei, Joicey, 2023. "Persuasive cues and reciprocal behaviors in influencer-follower relationships: The mediating role of influencer defense," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    19. Penttinen, Valeria, 2023. "Hi, I’m taking over this account! Leveraging social media takeovers in fostering consumer-brand relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    20. Kull, Alexander J. & Romero, Marisabel & Monahan, Lisa, 2021. "How may I help you? Driving brand engagement through the warmth of an initial chatbot message," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 840-850.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:156:y:2023:i:c:s0148296322009419. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.