The aim of this thesis is to develop a measurement scale to determine the credibility of influencers in today’s digitalized environment. Thus, an extensive literature review will be conducted to reveal underlying dimensions, concepts and impact models of the social construct credibility. Those examinations will provide a well-founded overview of the current academic research in this field and will guide the author to the subsequent empirical investigation. Aligning with the structure of key sources, the researcher decided on a sequential exploratory research design, consisting of a qualitative questionnaire which serves as reliable foundation of the subsequent quantitative questionnaire. Thereby, the qualitative survey aims to define and refine the items of the credibility scale, select exemplary influencers for the following rating process and give the author a first feel about the respondents’ perception of credibility. In contrast, the purpose of the quantitative survey is to collect an extensive amount of data (n=385) to further select descriptor items that consumers associate with credible influencers and therewith, build a reliable and valid base for further analytical calculations.
Table of Content
1. Introduction
1.1 Background and Motivation
1.2 Relevance of the Research Topic
1.3 Research Question and Objectives
1.4 Structure and Research Strategy
2. Influencer Marketing
2.1 Definition
2.2 Types of Influencers
2.3 Impact Models
2.3.1 Source-Credibility Model
2.3.2 Source-Attractiveness Model
2.3.3 Match-Up Hypothesis
2.3.4 Meaning-Transfer Model
2.4 Legal Regulations concerning Sponsored Content on Social Media
2.5 Relationship Management: Grounds for Influencer-Consumer Relationships
2.5.1 Network Coproduction Model
2.5.2 Mimicry-Social Relationship
2.5.3 Trust
2.5.3.1 Comparison of Trust Definitions
2.5.3.2 Theories of Trust
2.5.3.3 Conceptualization and Operationalization
2.6 Summary and Consequences for the Research Question
2.7 Conceptual Model
2.8 Further developed Research Question
3. Methodology
3.1 Measurement Instrument and its Method
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Conduction of Questionnaires
3.3.1 Pre-Tests
3.3.2 Process
3.4 Analysis and Results
3.4.1 Exploratory Factor Analysis
3.4.2 Reliability Analysis
3.4.3 Multiple Regression Analysis
3.4.4 Summary of the Results and Relevance for the Research Question
4. Discussion
4.1 Discussion of Results
4.2 Limitations
4.3 Implications for the Business World
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary aim of this thesis is to develop a robust measurement instrument to determine the credibility of influencers within the current digital environment. By conducting an extensive literature review and empirical research, the study seeks to identify the underlying trust factors that influence consumer product preferences and buying decisions, providing marketers with a reliable, evidence-based tool for the influencer-selection process.
- Development of a specialized Source-Credibility Scale (SCS) for influencers
- Exploration of impact models and trust theories in influencer-consumer relationships
- Empirical validation of credibility dimensions through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)
- Assessment of how influencer credibility impacts consumer product preferences
- Analysis of the relationship between influencer credibility and final buying decisions
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Background and Motivation
With the rise of SMPs as opinion forming media, companies – especially in the beauty, fashion, health and food industry – increasingly count on social media strategies to attract the consumers interest and in the long term, trigger a buying decision. However, this is a challenging goal, as potential customers are overflooded with information on a daily basis. In 2016, around 66,000 photos were uploaded just on the social media platform Instagram within one minute. (Allen, 2017) Besides searching for relevant information in the seemingly endless pool of texts, pictures and videos, today’s highly digitalized world allows consumers to freely share opinions within the online community. This status quo leads to the development of the word-of-mouth (WOM) communication into a new, electronically form (eWOM). (Brady & Lerigo-Jones, 2017) As research indicates, consumers trust each other more than businesses when evaluating the personal value of a product or service. (Lee & Koo, 2012) “Consumers’ reluctance to trust brands has paved the way for consumers to establish themselves as social media personalities, generating a large online following of peers that they can influence through their opinions.” (Brady & Lerigo-Jones, 2017, p. 1) According to Forbes, the top thirty social media influencers within the beauty, fitness and home industries have a combined reach of 250 million people.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter highlights the rising importance of Influencer Marketing (IM) and defines the research gap concerning the measurement of influencer credibility in a digitalized landscape.
2. Influencer Marketing: Provides a theoretical foundation covering influencer definitions, impact models, legal aspects of sponsored content, and the complex, multi-dimensional construct of trust.
3. Methodology: Details the sequential research strategy used to develop the measurement scale, including the qualitative pre-study and the quantitative survey (n=343) analyzed via SPSS and Exploratory Factor Analysis.
4. Discussion: Discusses the research findings, outlines study limitations, and derives practical implications for business marketers aiming to optimize their influencer selection and campaign strategies.
Key Words
Influencer Marketing, Relationship Management, Measuring Credibility, Credibility, Trust, Social Media Platforms, Source-Credibility Model, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Product Preference, Buying Decisions, Consumer Behavior, Online Social Networks, Digital Marketing, Quantitative Analysis, Trustworthiness
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on creating a reliable measurement instrument to quantify influencer credibility. It investigates how this credibility impacts consumer behavior and provides a structured framework for brand managers to evaluate influencers.
What are the primary themes addressed in this study?
Central themes include Influencer Marketing (IM), the theoretical construct of trust, the impact of sponsored content, the development of relationship management, and the statistical validation of credibility scales.
What is the main objective or research question?
The research asks how the credibility of influencers interacting in the current online environment can be measured, and which specific underlying trust factors affect consumers' product preferences and buying decisions.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The author utilized a sequential exploratory research design, starting with a qualitative questionnaire to refine items, followed by a large-scale quantitative survey (n=343) subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA).
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines current academic impact models of IM, legal regulations for disclosure, the "Mimicry-Social Relationship" construct, and various trust theories (deterrence-based, knowledge-based, and identification-based).
Which keywords define this thesis?
Key terms include Influencer Marketing, Measuring Credibility, Trustworthiness, Relationship Management, Consumer Preferences, and Exploratory Factor Analysis.
How does the "Mimicry-Social Relationship" concept affect influencer credibility?
It describes a feigned social connection where influencers mimic genuine social relationships to gain a competitive advantage, which in turn influences how consumers perceive them as trustful acquaintances.
What did the regression analysis reveal regarding buying decisions?
The MRA showed that buying decisions are significantly affected by "occupation-specific competencies" and "trustworthiness," though these factors only account for 20% of the variance, suggesting other unknown factors are also at play.
Why are "occupation-specific competencies" considered a critical factor?
They represent the most stable and impactful factor in the developed measurement scale, indicating that modern influencers need more than just general attractiveness to effectively drive product preferences.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Christin Smuda (Autor:in), 2018, Influencer Marketing. A Measurement Instrument to determine the Credibility of Influencers, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/441996
