Influencer Marketing and Behavioral Outcomes: How Types of Influencers Affect Consumer Mimicry?

Abstract

Objective - This paper conceptualizes a novel theoretical model of consumer mimicry of various types of influencers and associated behavioral outcomes. Design – This model was conceptualized after a thorough literature review and gap analysis. Moreover, prominent and underrepresented concepts from the literature were integrated to develop the novel model synthesized in this paper. Findings – Many facets of social media influencers have been studied in extant literature. These include source and content characteristics along with marketing strategies and sponsorship disclosures. However, most studies examine influencers from a broad perspective without refinement. Influencers are grouped into four categories based on their following and expertise: mega, macro, micro, and mini-influencers. Such categorizations are rarely reflected in the existing literature. Moreover, consumer mimicry of influencers and the consumer well-being aspects have been largely understudied. Policy Implications -Choosing the right influencer is challenging. Therefore, recognizing which types of influencers evoke consumer mimicry (and which don’t) will ease the selection process. This will increase the efficiency of influencer marketing campaigns run by marketers and brands. Originality - This is the first paper to incorporate all four types of influencer categories into a theoretical model. Subsequently, the largely scarce concept in SMI research, consumer well-being, has also been incorporated to ensure followers' welfare.