Titel: Är influencers vampyrer? En studie om influencer-baserad marknadsföring och brand recall. Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi. Författare: Julia Jansson och Christina Najm Handledare: Jonas Kågström Datum: 2018 - maj Syfte: Syftet med studien är att analysera hur influencer-baserad marknadsföring, vad gäller brand recall, påverkas av tidsaspekten, vampire effect, source credibility och match-up hypotesen. Metod: Data har insamlats med hjälp av två enkäter med 1461 respondenter. Respondenterna fick svara på enkäter gällande två olika influencers och dess samarbete med ett företag. Materialet har sedan analyserats och bearbetats med hjälp av deskriptiv statistik, T-test, korrelationsanalyser, faktoranalyser samt klusteranalys. Resultat & slutsats: Studien visade betydelsen för företag att välja en lämplig influencer för deras marknadsföring. Dessa influencers har möjligheten att nå en stor del av konsumenterna och det är då viktigt att de kan sända ut rätt information om varumärket. I fallet om vampire effect kom studien fram till att detta hot inte nödvändigtvis behöver påverka varumärkets brand recall, utan vid val av en lämplig och rätt influencer kan istället varumärket gynnas av influencer-baserad marknadsföring. Uppsatsens bidrag: Studiens bidrag till marknadsföringens forskningsområde är en ökad kunskap om influencer-baserad marknadsföring, vad gäller brand recall och dess effekter. Studien bidrar också med olika aspekter för företag att ta hänsyn till i valet av lämplig influencer. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Forskning bör vidare undersöka hur tidsaspekten har en påverkan på brand recall, då tidigare forskning varit begränsad. Vi anser att fler studier ska göras om influencer-baserad marknadsföring och brand recall då detta fält är relativt nytt och outforskat. Nyckelord: Brand recall, the vampire effect, source credibility model, match-up hypotesen, influencers, tidsaspekt. / Title: Are influencers vampires? A study about influencer-based marketing and brand recall. Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. Authors: Julia Jansson and Christina Najm Supervisor: Jonas Kågström Date: 2018 – may Aim: The purpose of this study is to investigate how influencer-based marketing, in terms of brand recall, is affected by the time aspect, vampire effect, source credibility and match-up hypothesis. Method: Data were collected from two surveys, with 1461 respondents. The respondents answered surveys about two influencers and their collaboration with a company. The data has been analysed and processed with descriptive statistics, T-test, correlation as well as factor and cluster analyses. Results & Conclusion: The study showed the importance for companies to choose an appropriate influencer for marketing. These influencers have the ability to reach a large portion of consumers and it is, therefore, important that they can send accurate information about the brand. Regarding the vampire effect, the study showed that it is not necessarily a threat to brand recall, but if the appropriate influencer is chosen, the brand can benefit from influencer-based marketing. Contribution of the thesis: The contribution of this study to the marketing research area is an increased knowledge about influencer-based marketing, in terms of brand recall and its effects. The study also contributes with different aspects for companies to consider in selecting an appropriate influencer. Suggestions for future research: Future research should examine how the time aspect can affect brand recall, since prior research has been narrowed. We believe that more studies should be done especially about influenced-based marketing and brand recall since it is relatively new and unexplored. Key words: Brand recall, the vampire effect, source credibility, match-up hypothesis, influencers, time aspect

Bakgrund: Marknadsföring på sociala medier är ett modernt fenomen inom markandsföringsvärlden och ett koncept som företag kan skapa ökad brand awareness genom (Adebanjo & Michaelides, 2010; O’Reilly, 2005). Influencer marketing kommer från celebrity brand endorsing, användning av kända personer i reklam för företag. Jaakonmäki, Müller & Brocke (2017) menar på att sociala medier blivit ett betydelsefullt redskap för att etablera relationerna mellan företaget och dess konsumenter. Användare av sociala medier har däremot blivit mer selektiva och medvetna av uppenbar reklam när den inte uppfattas som genuin eller autentisk vilket i sin tur påverkar tillförlitligheten (Campbell & Farrell, 2020). Ämnet Influencer marketing på sociala medier är därför ett aktuellt ämne att undersöka. Syfte: Studien har undersökt influencer marketing utifrån företagsperspektiv med frågeställningen: Hur arbetar kända företag för att skapa brand awareness genom sociala medier och influencer marketing samt vad anser de om influencer marketing? Teoretisk referensram: Den teori som grundar hela studien behandlar Brand equity, Opinion leader, Influencer marketing och The match-up effect. Metod: För att samla in data har en kvalitativ metod använts i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer där fem respondenter från olika företag aktiva inom influencer markting deltog. Slutsatser: Resultatet i denna studie visade att influencer marketing hjälper företag att skapa brand awareness med hjälp av konsekvent närvaro på sociala medier, större räckvidd, fler omtalningar, högre engagemang och mer genuinitet i samarbetet. Men att kända företag på sociala medier som lyckats med influencer marketing inte följer en strategi. / Background: Marketing on social media is a modern phenomenon in the marketing world and a concept through which companies can create increased brand awareness (Adebanjo & Michaelides, 2010; O’Reilly, 2005). Influencer marketing comes from celebrity brand endorsing, the use of celebrities in corporate advertising. Jaakonmäki, Müller & Brocke (2017) believe that social media has become an important tool for establishing relationships between the company and its consumers. On the other hand, users of social media have become more selective and aware of obvious advertising when it is not perceived as genuine or authentic, which in turn affects reliability (Campbell & Farrell, 2020). The topic Influencer marketing on social media is therefore a current topic to investigate. Purpose: The study has examined influencer marketing from a company perspective with the question: How do well-known companies work to create brand awareness through social media and influencer marketing and what do they think about influencer marketing? Theory: The theory that underlies the entire study deals with Brand equity, Opinion leader, Influencer marketing and The match-up effect. Method: To collect data, a qualitative method has been used in the form of semi-structured interviews in which five respondents from different companies active in influencer marketing participated. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that influencer marketing helps companies create brand awareness with the help of consistent presence on social media, greater reach, more publicity, higher engagement and more genuineness in collaboration. But that well-known companies on social media that have succeeded with influencer marketing do not follow a strategy.

Endorser is common in advertising for marketing strategies. The firms spend hundreds of million dollars to hire celebrities to endorse their products and brands. Appropriate endorsers are beneficial in brand differentiation and help competitive advantage building. Previous researches in match-up between endorser and product image have two diverse points of view (congruity vs. incongruity). The latest research reveals that in moderate incongruity would accommodate the two different views. Based on the three inconsistent findings, this study explores the effects of gender-based trait through different match-up levels of endorser and service type. The present study uses experimental design to investigate the advertising effects of endorser¡¦s gender (male vs. female), endorser¡¦s gendered traits (male vs. female), and service type (masculine vs. neutral vs. feminine). Thus, a 2x2x3 factorial design is conducted. The ad effects are measured by perceived quality, attitudes toward the brand, and purchase intention to observe the responses under twelve different and fictitious scenarios. The results indicate that a male endorser with female traits is more effective than a male endorser with male traits, especially promoting feminine-based service marketing. Besides, consumers¡¦ perceived quality is different when evaluating match-up combinations based on endorser¡¦s gender. Moreover, when promoting a masculine-based service, a female endorser with female trait is more effective than a male endorser with male traits in perceived quality and purchase intentions. According to these findings, the research provides implications for researchers and marketers on match-up between endorser and service type.

xvi, 152 p. : col. ill. / Millions of dollars are spent on celebrity contracts each year by assuming that the benefits of using celebrities will exceed the costs. Accordingly, many researchers have studied the impact of celebrity endorsements on advertising effectiveness. One of the theories used frequently by these researchers is the match-up hypothesis. This theory suggests that there should be a good fit between the celebrity and the product; however, it is not clear what constitutes a good fit. Some researchers suggested that attractive celebrities will be more effective if they are used to promote attractiveness-related products. Other researchers claimed that when there is congruence between the product type and the celebrity profession, advertising effectiveness will be enhanced; however, these existing dimensions of the match-up hypothesis fall short of explaining some popular celebrity endorsement campaigns (e.g., Sharpie Pens and David Beckham). The current research contributes to the study of celebrity endorsements by adding another dimension, values, to the match-up hypothesis. Specifically, the congruence between celebrity values (as perceived by consumers) and values represented by products was considered as an alternative to the attractiveness and expertise dimensions. In a series of six experiments, support for the positive impact of celebrity-product value congruence on advertising effectiveness was found. College students exposed to the high value congruence ad spent less time in examining the ad, suggesting that participants were easily and quickly able to match up the celebrities and products. Moreover, participants who were exposed to the high value congruence ad had significantly more favorable attitudes toward ad and brand, had higher intentions to buy the product, and were more likely to recommend the product to other people than were participants who were exposed to the low value congruence ad. The results also suggested that value congruence with unfamiliar celebrities was more effective than value congruence with familiar celebrities for generating more favorable attitudes toward ad and brand and higher behavioral intentions, due probably to the minimized effect of pre-established thoughts or feelings about unfamiliar celebrities. Together these results suggest that the congruence between celebrity and product values plays an important role in advertising effectiveness. / Committee in charge: Lynn R. Kahle, Chairperson; Joan Giese, Member; David Boush, Member; Deborah Morrison, Outside Member

TitelMarknadsföringsaktiviteter på Instagram - En kvantitativ studie om hur varumärkesattityd påverkas av företags samarbeten med influencers på sociala medier. NivåC-uppsats i ämnet Företagsekonomi. FörfattareFelicia Johnsén & Wintana Habte Gimariam HandledareJonas Molin & Lars-Johan Åge. Datum2021 – juni SyfteStudiens syfte är att undersöka hur varumärkesattityd påverkas av den upplevda attraktiviteten hos influencers när de utför samarbeten med företag. MetodDenna studie tillämpar en kvantitativ metod med en tvärsnittsstudie. Studiens datainsamling har utförts med en online enkätundersökning. Den baserades på 79 godtagbara svar från Instagram användare som följer en eller flera influencers. Enkätsvaren har analyserats genom IBM SPSS Statistics och Excel. Därefter har en deskriptiv analys samt en korrelationsanalys gjorts för att tolka studiens resultat. Resultat & SlutsatsResultatet av denna studie visar att attraktiva egenskaper påverkar varumärkesattityd mer än fysisk attraktivitet. Studiens resultat visar även innebörden av att välja en passande influencer till varumärket för ett företags framgång. Förslag till vidare forskningDenna studie föreslår bland annat att genomföra två kvalitativa studier där ena lyfter frågan om fysisk attraktivitet har blivit tabu att tala om och den andra kan utföra samma studie som denna, men med intervjuer som datainsamlingsmetod. Andra förslag till vidare forskning är att undersöka olika generationer och begränsa urvalet efter könsfördelning, exempelvis endast kvinnor. Uppsatsens bidragStudiens bidrag är att attraktiva egenskaper hos influencers påverkar konsumenter mer än deras fysiska attraktivitet. Det är även viktigt för företag att välja en passandeinfluencer till sitt varumärke för att främja positiva attityder gentemot varumärket. NyckelordInfluencer, Influencer marketing, Instagram, Product Match-up. Source Attractiveness, Source Credibility, Varumärkesattityd. / TitleMarketing activities on Instagram - A quantitative study of how brand attitude is affected by companies colloborations with influencers on social media. LevelFinal assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. AuthorsFelicia Johnsén & Wintana Habte Gimariam. SupervisorsJonas Molin & Lars-Johan Åge. Date2021 – june AimThe purpose of the study is to investigate how brand attitude is affected by the perceived attractiveness of influencers when they do collaborations with brands. MethodThis study applies a quantitative method with a cross-sectional study. The study's data collection was conducted with an online survey. It was based on 79 acceptable responses from Instagram users who follow one or more influencers. The survey results have been analyzed through IBM SPSS Statistics and Excel. Subsequently, a descriptive analysis and a correlation analysis were performed to interpret the study results. Result & ConclusionThe results of this study show that attractive properties affect brand attitude more than physical attractiveness. The results of the study also show that the meaning of choosing the right influencer for the right brand is important for a company's success. Suggestions for future researchThis study proposes, among other things, to conduct two qualitative studies where one raises the issue of physical attractiveness has become taboo to talk about and the other can perform the same study as this, but with interviews as a data collection method. Other proposals for further research are to examine different generations and limit the selection by gender distribution, for example only women. Contribution of the thesisThe study's contribution is that attractive characteristics of influencers affect consumers more than their physical attractiveness. It is also important for companies to choose a suitable influencer for their brand in order to promote positive attitudes towards the brand. Key wordsBrand attitude, Influencer, Influencer Marketing, Instagram, Product Match-up, Source Attractiveness, Source Credibility.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att förklara hur svenska kvinnliga Millennials attityd och köpintention påverkas av influencers på Instagram inom modebranschen. För att besvara syftet har influencerns effektivitet analyserats genom fyra variabler; dessa är source credibility, source attractiveness, product match up och meaning transfer. Studien har grundats i teorier om celebrity endorsement och influencer marketing och olika sätt att mäta hur effektiva endorsern är. Hypoteser formades för att kunna bekräfta samband mellan de fyra variablerna och attityd och köpintention. Empirin samlades in via enkäter till kvinnliga Millennials i Norrbotten där respondenterna fick besvara frågor baserat på en bild och utifrån bilden besvara vilket ord som stämde bäst överens med deras åsikt. Uppsatsen testade nio hypoteser och fem av dessa kunde styrkas. Resultatet visade att source credibility påverkar köpintentionen, det finns ett samband mellan source attractiveness och attityd men attraktivitet är inte en tillräcklig stark källa för att övertyga konsumenter till köp. Product match up påverkar Millennials köpintention, meaning transfer har ett positivt samband till konsumenternas attityd och attityd påverkar köpintention. För vidare forskning föreslås en kvalitativ undersökning för att få djupare förståelse av Instagram-influencers påverkan paå Millennialskonsumenter. / The purpose of this report was to explain how Swedish female Millennials attitudes and their purchase intention were affected by influencers on social media. This has been done by analyzing four variables; source credibility, source attractiveness, product match up and meaning transfer. The study was based on theory about celebrity endorsement, influencer marketing and different ways of measuring how effective the endorser is. Hypotheses were formulated to be able to confirm relationships between the four variables, and attitudes and purchase intention. The data were gathered from female Millennials in Norrbotten via an online survey and the respondents got to answer questions based on a picture and answer what word which best described their opinion of the picture. The report tested nine hypotheses and five of these could be confirmed. The result showed that source credibility affects the purchase intention. There is a relationship between source attractiveness and consumer attitude, however attractiveness is not a strong enough source to convince the purchase intention of consumers. Product match up affects Millennials purchase intention, meaning transfer has a positive relationship towards consumer attitude, and attitude affects purchase intention. For future research, it is suggested to make a qualitative study in order to gain deeper understanding the effect of Instagram-influencers on Millennial consumers.

Submitted by Anderson do Nascimento Ricci (anderson.ricci@fgv.br) on 2018-07-23T14:09:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 J.Ribeiro da Silva_Tese FGV.pdf: 2952965 bytes, checksum: 91408927dff5ec9499641b2db136c131 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Janete de Oliveira Feitosa (janete.feitosa@fgv.br) on 2018-07-24T13:39:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 J.Ribeiro da Silva_Tese FGV.pdf: 2952965 bytes, checksum: 91408927dff5ec9499641b2db136c131 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-24T18:59:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 J.Ribeiro da Silva_Tese FGV.pdf: 2952965 bytes, checksum: 91408927dff5ec9499641b2db136c131 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-06-20 / Purpose – The Match-up hypothesis is a concept which suggests that the stronger the match (i.e. the congruence, adequacy), between both a celebrity and a product, the more effective an endorsement will be. In this paper, we pretend to examine the mentioned match-up hypothesis under a social class perspective. Design/Methodology – An experiment, consisting of two surveys, was conducted to evaluate both the perceived adequacy of a celebrity-product match and its impact on consumers’ purchase intentions. Findings – Results revealed that, although the match enhanced consumer’s perceived adequacy, this rise was not translated into greater purchase intentions. Research limitations – The usage of only one product category, as well as differences regarding personal preferences and biases stemming from the non-probabilistic sampling method, were some of the limitations faced during the research. In addition, the lack of information about the topic, since it had never been studied, corresponded to another limitation. Practical implications – By acknowledging that consumers do perceive an adequacy and match between the type of products and the celebrities’ social class, companies, through their marketing and communication departments, are able to create, design and “shape” specific strategies in order to increase both the effectiveness of endorsements and consumers’’ engagement. Social implications – As a result of its marketing nature and company specific focus, the present research does not offer a wide spectrum of social implications. However, one might consider the understanding of an existing cognitive association, as well as a mental construct, between consumers’ minds and the social characteristics of the elements involved in a consumption decision as a major contribution in this field. Originality - Extant literature has only focused on the celebrity’s attractiveness (physical and/or intellectual) and credibility (expertness and trustworthiness), being the present work the first to focus and explore other perspectives and characteristics such as the social class. / Objetivo – A teoria de “Match-up hypothesis” (hipótese de combinação) é um conceito que sugere que quanto mais intensa, forte, for a combinação (i.e., a congruência ou adequação) entre a celebridade e o produto promovido, maior será a eficácia do endosso. Neste trabalho, nós pretendemos examinar o referido conceito e o impacto do mesmo sob uma perspectiva de classe social. Metodologia – Um experimento/estudo, consistindo em dois questionários, foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar tanto a adequação percebida entre celebridade e produto, assim como o impacto da última nas intenções de compra dos consumidores. Resultados – Os resultados revelaram que, não obstante ao facto do o referido “match” realçar e aumentar a adequação percebida pelo consumidor, esse aumento não se traduz num crescimento das intenções de compra. Limitações – A utilização de apenas uma categoria de produtos, assim como as diferenças relacionadas com preferências pessoais e enviesamento decorrente de um método de amostragem não probabilística, foram algumas das limitações enfrentadas durante a pesquisa conduzida. Adicionalmente, a falta de informação e dados sobre o tópico discutido, uma vez que nunca fora antes estudado, correspondeu a outra limitação. Aplicabilidade do trabalho – Ao reconhecer que os consumidores são capazes de entender a existência de um “match”, uma relação, entre o tipo de produtos e a classe social da celebridade, as empresas podem criar, projetar e “desenhar” estratégias específicas de forma a aumentar não só a eficácia do endosso como também o engajamento dos consumidores. Contribuições para a sociedade – Devido à natureza do trabalho e ao seu foco nas ações de uma empresa, o presente estudo não oferece um espectro muito alargado de contribuições no campo social. Todavia, o reconhecimento da existência de uma associação cognitiva, assim como de construções mentais, entre a mente dos consumidores e as características sociais dos elementos envolvidos na decisão de consumo pode ser considerado o maior contributo do estudo neste campo em análise. Originalidade – A literatura existente tem-se apenas focado na atratividade (aparência, física e/ou intelectual) e na credibilidade (perícia e confiança) de uma celebridade, sendo o presente trabalho o primeiro a focar-se e explorar outras perspectivas e características tais como a classe social.

Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka skillnaden mellan en mänsklig influencer och en virtuell influencers effekt på en konsuments varumärkesattityd och köpintention när ett varumärke marknadsförs på sociala medier. Metod: Studien tillämpar en kvantitativ forskningsmetod med en deduktiv ansats. Populationen som avses studeras är svenska Instagram-användare mellan 15 och 60 år. Urvalet är baserat på ett icke-slumpmässigt urval. Data har samlats in genom en webb-baserat enkät. Enkäten resulterade i 182 godtagbara svar som har analyserats via statistikprogrammen Jamovi och SmartPLS. En deskriptiv analys, ensidiga och parade t-tester, korrelationsanalys samt strukturerad ekvationsmodellering har använts för att tolka studiens resultat. Resultat och slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att både en mänsklig- och en virtuell influencer har en effekt på en konsuments varumärkesattityd och köpintention. Effekten av en konsuments köpintention förmedlas i båda fall genom den varumärkesattityd respektive form av influencer genererat. Utifrån studiens teoretiska ramverk har studien även kunnat visa att olika faktorer har en relation till en mänsklig- respektive virtuell influencer, trots att de marknadsför samma varumärke. Bidrag: Studien bidrar till teoretisk kunskap om att en virtuell influencer har en effekt på en konsuments varumärkesattityd samt köpintention. Studien bidrar även med kunskap om att det finns olika faktorer som har en relation till en konsuments varumärkesattityd och köpintention i relation till en mänsklig- respektive virtuell form av influencer. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Vidare forskning föreslås undersöka personlighetsdrag som är kopplade till en större omtyckbarhet gentemot virtuella influencers. En replikering med modifiering föreslås även samt studier om vilka organisationer/branscher som kan dra fördelar från att använda en virtuell influencer i sin marknadsföring. / Aim: The purpose is to investigate the difference between a human influencer and a virtual influencer's effect on a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention when a brand is marketed through social media. Method: The study applies a quantitative research method with a deductive approach. The population to be studied is Swedish Instagram users between the ages of 15 and 60. The selection of respondents is based on a non-random sample. Data has been collected through a web-based survey. The survey resulted in a total number of 182 respondents. The data has been analyzed through the statistical programs Jamovi and SmartPLS. A descriptive analysis, one-sided and paired t-tests, correlation analysis and structured equation modeling have been used to interpret the study's results. Result and conclusions: The result of this study shows that both a human- and a virtual influencer have an effect on a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention. In both cases, the effect of a consumer's purchase intention is mediated by the brand attitude the influencer has generated. Based on the study's theoretical framework, the study has also been able to show that different factors have a relationship to a human- and virtual influencer, even though they are marketing the same brand. Contribution: The study contributes to theoretical knowledge that a virtual influencer has an effect on a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention. The study also contributes to the knowledge that there are different factors that have a relationship to a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention in relation to a human- or virtual form of influencer. Suggestion for future research: Further research is suggested to investigate personality traits that are connected to a greater likability towards virtual influencers. A replication with modification is also proposed as well as a study on which type of organizations/industries that can benefit from using a virtual influencer in their marketing.

Background: The rapid growth of social media has transformed the influencer marketinglandscape, making Gen Z overwhelmed with digital content and more discerning aboutauthenticity and brand alignment in influencer partnerships. As brands are increasinglyusing fashion influencers as a primary marketing tool due to their substantial impact onconsumer decisions, understanding influencer-brand fit is crucial, highlighting the need forfurther exploration of the consequences of a poor fit. Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study is to gain a deeper understanding of howfemale Gen Z evaluates factors influencing their perception of influencer-brand fit withinthe fashion industry on Instagram, specifically exploring the consequences of a poor fit. Method: Using a qualitative research design within an interpretivist paradigm andinductive approach, empirical data was gathered through semi-structured focus groups andindividual interviews with female Gen Z participants, selected by judgment sampling. Thedata was then analysed using thematic analysis to derive meaningful insights. Conclusion: This study reveals the multifaceted dynamics of influencer-brand fit and itsimpact on female Gen Z's perceived credibility of both fashion influencers and brands.Findings reveal that the factors influencer characteristics, parasocial interactions,collaborative structure, external influence, and influencer-brand image play a pivotal rolein influencing female Gen Z's perception of an influencer-brand fit. Furthermore, the studyhighlights the outcomes of an influencer-brand fit, underscoring that a strong fit increasescredibility and loyalty while a poor fit decreases consumer trust, engagement andcredibility. This study highlights the evolving nature of consumer responses and theimportance of understanding the nuanced preferences of this demographic, underscoringthe need for brands to strategically select influencers whose image and values align closelywith their own.