Influencer transgressions: The impacts on endorser and brand

Walter von Mettenheim and Klaus-Peter Wiedmann

Journal of Media Economics, 2023, vol. 35, issue 1-2, 28-62

Abstract: Social influencer marketing has developed into a powerful form of marketing communication. Influencers, akin to any type of endorser, may commit transgressions. As influencers’ main field of activity is the internet, a transgression can propagate swiftly and cause damage to both an influencer and an endorsed brand. Against this backdrop, we contribute a framework that includes eleven transgressions typically caused by influencers and map the size of the detrimental impacts on the influencer and brand. We verify our assumptions with two empirical investigations including 237 and 616 data sets. In this way, we fill a gap in scandal frameworks and align our work with research on other types of celebrities. The results provide an overview of the impacts of transgressions. Likewise, we examine the specific characteristics of influencers that may appease the transgression. The results show that even supposedly minor transgressions, such as the use of swearwords or commercial sharenting, have negative impacts on an influencer and the endorsed brand. Overall, the effects for the brand may be mitigated to some extent if the influencer has a “bad girl” personality.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1080/08997764.2023.2232769

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