Finding the right influencer – An exploratory study within the beauty industry

Abstract

Influencing consumers and their decision-makings has long been a marketing practice for companies and a well-researched topic in marketing literature. With the emergence of social media, the scale and practice of influencing has been disrupted and consequently altered brands marketing communication. On social media, one-way brand-to-consumer communication is replaced with peer-to-peer communication through influencers. The aim of this paper is therefore to better understand the process behind identifying and selecting influencers who will carry the brands communication and messages, and potential risks connected with having influencers carry the voice of the brand. To do so, an exploratory study with semi-structured interviews with influencer marketing practitioners who are deemed as experts in the subject were conducted. Findings suggests that the process is guides by the culture of the company and characteristics of its workforce rather than a standardized process. Furthermore, a thorough screening and filtering process when identifying and selecting influencers reduces the risks of having influencers carry the voice of the brand. Instead, brands are eager to have influencers function as their voice, as it delivers a more genuine and trustworthy message in a creative manner that the brands themselves never could.