Influence for social good: exploring the roles of influencer identity and comment section in Instagram-based LGBTQ-centric corporate social responsibility advertising

Abstract

Brands have increasingly collaborated with influencers on their social advocacy efforts through social media influencer advertising. This study explores the effects of influencer identity and comment section in Instagram-based corporate social responsibility advertising within the context of Pride collection supporting the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community. Through an experiment sampling both non-LGBTQ and LGBTQ Instagram users (N = 645), the present study investigates how the featured Instagram influencer’s intergroup identity (non-LGBTQ, LGBTQ) interacts with comment valence (positive, negative) to influence consumers’ responses to the Pride collection advertisements contributing to the LGBTQ cause. Moreover, it explores whether perceived influencer credibility, brand hypocrisy, and brand motive mediate the effects of influencer identity and comment valence. The findings demonstrated that the LGBTQ-identified influencer elicited more perceived credibility and less brand hypocrisy, particularly among the LGBTQ participants. However, the non-LGBTQ influencer elicited more positive ad attitudes and behavioural tendencies among the cisgender heterosexual non-LGBTQ participants. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.