Blurred lines? Disentangling the roles of consumers’ influencer- and brand engagement in shaping brand performance

Welf H. Weiger, Johann N. Giertz, Maik Hammerschmidt and Linda D. Hollebeek

Journal of Business Research, 2025, vol. 194, issue C

Abstract: This study is the first to disentangle influencer- and brand engagement and to explore their interplay in shaping consumer purchases, while considering the mediating role of the strength of parasocial relationships (PSRs) between consumers and influencers. The results reveal that while influencer- and brand engagement independently enhance purchases, high brand engagement can diminish influencer engagement’s purchase-enhancing effect through weakened PSRs (representing a “reverse vampire effect”). This negative interplay between influencer- and brand engagement is particularly prominent among the followers of mega influencers, who have millions of followers. High brand engagement can weaken PSRs, particularly with mega influencers, as they may be viewed as manipulative. This research thus provides novel insights into influencer marketing effectiveness, emphasizing the role of PSRs and the need to exercise caution in influencer-brand collaborations, particularly with mega influencers. Overall, this study provides a more realistic understanding of the trade-offs between the benefits and risks of influencer marketing.

Keywords: Influencer marketing; Parasocial relationships; Social media; Influencer engagement; Brand engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325001031
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:194:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001031

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115280

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside

More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().