Flavián Lázaro, Marta
Casaló Ariño, Luis Vicente (dir.) ; Belanche Gracia, Daniel (dir.)
Universidad de Zaragoza,
2024
Resumen: Due to the widespread use of social media and digital platforms, consumers are now being significantly impacted by other peers in forming their views, attitudes, and choices. More recently, influencers have emerged as a social influence that exert a substantial impact on consumer preferences and choices via recommendations and postings on social media platforms, like Instagram.
As a result of their increasing importance, companies are incorporating social media and influencers as fundamental components of their marketing strategies, gradually displacing the spending formerly allocated to conventional media. In three empirical studies, this Doctoral Thesis aims to contribute to the field of influencer marketing by analysing three specific research gaps:
¿ Research Gap 1: Effectiveness of influencer-brand collaboration depending on the prestige of the brand, and whether physical products vs. intangible services are involved.
¿ Research Gap 2: Integrated analysis of influencer-product-consumer triadic congruence and its consequences.
¿ Research Gap 3: Impact of human vs virtual influencers on the promotion of hedonic vs utilitarian products.
The first study analyses the efficacy of collaboration between influencers and brands. It specifically considers the differences that arise when the endorsed brand possesses varying levels of prestige and when the promotion involves either tangible products or intangible services. This analysis is based on the associative memory network model (Srull & Wyer, 1989) and brand alliance model (Gammoh et al., 2006). The findings reveal that collaborations with influencers yield more positive outcomes for prestige brands, enhancing brand attitudes and purchase intentions, while also boosting influencer credibility. Moreover, when promoting services over tangible products, influencer endorsements generate more favorable attitudes towards the message and stimulate greater information-seeking behavior, although no differential effects emerge for purchase intentions or influencer credibility. These findings provide valuable insights for brands to optimize their influencer marketing strategies based on their prestige level and the nature of their offerings.
The second study delves into the psychological processes that explain influencers capacity to convince and to alter customers¿ purchasing decisions. This research specifically examines how the alignment between the influencer and customer might result in the consumer identifying with the promoted product. It aims to uncover the mechanisms through which this technology-driven connection results in the influencer persuading the follower. This study is grounded on the theories of cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1962) and balance (Heider, 1946), and the principle of congruity (Osgood & Tannenbaum, 1955). It is especially pertinent since it sheds light on the underlying mechanism (i.e., congruence among the influencer, the consumer and the promoted product) that help explain why influencers affect customers purchasing behaviours and preferences. The findings confirm that higher congruence between the influencer and the product enhances consumer-product congruence, particularly when influencer-consumer congruence is high. Consequently, greater overall congruence improves consumer attitudes toward the promoted product. Ultimately, this positive attitudinal shift increases consumers' purchase intentions and recommendation likelihood.
The last study explores the emerging domain of virtual influencers, created through artificial intelligence and establishes a framework which analyses the differences between human and virtual influencers and, therefore, may map out the future of influencer marketing. An experimental design allowed us to undertake a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of virtual and human influencers to identify the optimal conditions and situations in which brands might utilise either of these digital marketing approaches, particularly when promoting hedonic or utilitarian products. To contribute to this emerging field, this study combines the traditional theoretical rationale of social identity theory (Tajfel et al., 1979; Tajfel & Turner, 1986) with recent theories about different levels of artificial intelligence (Huang & Rust, 2018, 2021). The results show that while consumers identify more with human influencers, messages from virtual influencers are perceived as more useful. Identification with the influencer positively influences perceived message usefulness and intention to follow advice. Usefulness of the message also impacts intention to follow advice. Notably, the usefulness of advice given by virtual influencers is higher when promoting utilitarian versus hedonic products. However, the difference in consumer identification based on influencer type (human vs. virtual) is not affected by the promoted product type.
In summary, expanding the knowledge of social influence in the digital context, this doctoral thesis includes three empirical analyses organised in a logical sequence, providing a thorough comprehension of this constantly evolving phenomenon. The studies examine the effectiveness of influencer-brand associations based on brand reputation and the nature of the product or service being promoted; the psychological processes that explain influencer persuasion, focusing on the important role of congruence between influencer-product-customer; and the future of influencer marketing involving the use of human influencers or AI-generated virtual influencers in the promotion of products of a hedonic or utilitarian nature. The thesis ends with an in-depth discussion of the main implications for both theory and practice, and offers relevant avenues for future research.
Resumen (otro idioma):
As a result of their increasing importance, companies are incorporating social media and influencers as fundamental components of their marketing strategies, gradually displacing the spending formerly allocated to conventional media. In three empirical studies, this Doctoral Thesis aims to contribute to the field of influencer marketing by analysing three specific research gaps:
¿ Research Gap 1: Effectiveness of influencer-brand collaboration depending on the prestige of the brand, and whether physical products vs. intangible services are involved.
¿ Research Gap 2: Integrated analysis of influencer-product-consumer triadic congruence and its consequences.
¿ Research Gap 3: Impact of human vs virtual influencers on the promotion of hedonic vs utilitarian products.
The first study analyses the efficacy of collaboration between influencers and brands. It specifically considers the differences that arise when the endorsed brand possesses varying levels of prestige and when the promotion involves either tangible products or intangible services. This analysis is based on the associative memory network model (Srull & Wyer, 1989) and brand alliance model (Gammoh et al., 2006). The findings reveal that collaborations with influencers yield more positive outcomes for prestige brands, enhancing brand attitudes and purchase intentions, while also boosting influencer credibility. Moreover, when promoting services over tangible products, influencer endorsements generate more favorable attitudes towards the message and stimulate greater information-seeking behavior, although no differential effects emerge for purchase intentions or influencer credibility. These findings provide valuable insights for brands to optimize their influencer marketing strategies based on their prestige level and the nature of their offerings.
The second study delves into the psychological processes that explain influencers capacity to convince and to alter customers¿ purchasing decisions. This research specifically examines how the alignment between the influencer and customer might result in the consumer identifying with the promoted product. It aims to uncover the mechanisms through which this technology-driven connection results in the influencer persuading the follower. This study is grounded on the theories of cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1962) and balance (Heider, 1946), and the principle of congruity (Osgood & Tannenbaum, 1955). It is especially pertinent since it sheds light on the underlying mechanism (i.e., congruence among the influencer, the consumer and the promoted product) that help explain why influencers affect customers purchasing behaviours and preferences. The findings confirm that higher congruence between the influencer and the product enhances consumer-product congruence, particularly when influencer-consumer congruence is high. Consequently, greater overall congruence improves consumer attitudes toward the promoted product. Ultimately, this positive attitudinal shift increases consumers' purchase intentions and recommendation likelihood.
The last study explores the emerging domain of virtual influencers, created through artificial intelligence and establishes a framework which analyses the differences between human and virtual influencers and, therefore, may map out the future of influencer marketing. An experimental design allowed us to undertake a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of virtual and human influencers to identify the optimal conditions and situations in which brands might utilise either of these digital marketing approaches, particularly when promoting hedonic or utilitarian products. To contribute to this emerging field, this study combines the traditional theoretical rationale of social identity theory (Tajfel et al., 1979; Tajfel & Turner, 1986) with recent theories about different levels of artificial intelligence (Huang & Rust, 2018, 2021). The results show that while consumers identify more with human influencers, messages from virtual influencers are perceived as more useful. Identification with the influencer positively influences perceived message usefulness and intention to follow advice. Usefulness of the message also impacts intention to follow advice. Notably, the usefulness of advice given by virtual influencers is higher when promoting utilitarian versus hedonic products. However, the difference in consumer identification based on influencer type (human vs. virtual) is not affected by the promoted product type.
In summary, expanding the knowledge of social influence in the digital context, this doctoral thesis includes three empirical analyses organised in a logical sequence, providing a thorough comprehension of this constantly evolving phenomenon. The studies examine the effectiveness of influencer-brand associations based on brand reputation and the nature of the product or service being promoted; the psychological processes that explain influencer persuasion, focusing on the important role of congruence between influencer-product-customer; and the future of influencer marketing involving the use of human influencers or AI-generated virtual influencers in the promotion of products of a hedonic or utilitarian nature. The thesis ends with an in-depth discussion of the main implications for both theory and practice, and offers relevant avenues for future research.
Resumen (otro idioma):
Pal. clave: actitud del consumidor ; comportamiento del consumidor ; inteligencia artificial ; marketing
Titulación: Programa de Doctorado en Economía y Gestión de las Organizaciones
Plan(es): Plan 503
Área de conocimiento: Ciencias Sociales y jurídicas
Nota: Presentado: 09 07 2024
Nota: Tesis-Univ. Zaragoza, , 2024
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