Making and breaking relationships on social media: the impacts of brand and influencer betrayals

Hanna Reinikainen, Teck Ming Tan, Vilma Luoma-aho and Jari Salo

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2021, vol. 171, issue C

Abstract: This study considers how the relationships between social media influencers, brands and individuals are intertwined on social media and analyses the spill-over effects of feelings of betrayal. An experimental design with two transgression scenarios (influencer vs. brand) was created, and 250 individuals were recruited to participate in the study. The results show that a perceived betrayal by a brand can negatively affect the perceived coolness of the social media influencer that has endorsed the brand, as well as the parasocial relationships that followers have with the influencer. Accordingly, a perceived betrayal by a social media influencer can negatively affect attitudes, trust and purchase intentions toward a brand that the influencer has endorsed. The current research helps in understanding brand and influencer transgressions and highlights the fact that both influencers and brands should have a sense of collaboration responsibility. It also introduces the concept of influencer coolness, understood here as a desirable success factor for social media influencers, which partly explains their desirability and influence, and a feature that can be endangered through both influencer and brand betrayals.

Keywords: Social media influencers; Brand betrayal; Influencer betrayal; Transgressions; Parasocial relationships; Influencer coolness; Brand attitude; Brand trust; Purchase intention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:171:y:2021:i:c:s0040162521004224

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120990

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