2022

Sundermann, Gerrit; Munnukka, Juha

Social media influencers (SMIs) have become an effective channel for reaching targeted customers. The present study explores the influence process of advertising recognition on consumer responses in the SMI marketing context. The authors examined an Instagram post featuring the endorsement of a brand and created an experimental design with four conditions related to advertising recognition and the parasocial relationship. Findings from a partial least squares structural equation modeling procedure indicate that advertising recognition results in overall negative consumer responses to SMI brand endorsements. The results also indicate parallel mediating effects of source credibility and attitude toward endorsements as well as moderating effects of the parasocial relationship and consumer skepticism toward influencer marketing. The study sheds light on the influence process of SMI brand endorsements and the boundary conditions under which consumer responses to advertising recognition are moderated.