Optimized influencer selection for building a positive brand image - A study from Finnish consumer perspective
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Date
2022
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Marketing
Language
en
Pages
81 + 10
Series
Abstract
Due to the explosion of influencer marketing, the number of influencers has also increased which means companies now have more options when planning on new social media campaigns for their products and services. It might be a risk to recruit an influencer to be the face of a brand if the company does not know this person very well beforehand. Influencer marketing can make or break the brand image, just as any other kind of marketing. Hence, the challenging part is to select the right kind of influencer that fits both the brand and the group the marketing is targeted towards. What are the factors in an influencer that are relevant for building a positive brand image through a social media endorsement? This quantitative study aims to find out the most relevant influencer characteristics that have a positive effect on perceived brand image from a consumer's perspective. More specifically, the study explores this theme in Finnish context by using Finnish influencer, Miisa Grekov and Finnish brand, Paulig. Moreover, the survey respondents are Finnish. The chosen independent variables are studied with the dependent variable which is, in this case, perceived brand image. Positive correlations are found by first conducting a survey that uses five-point Likert-type-scale, after which the data is analyzed by using Pearson’s r correlation. The findings show that all the independent variables, except for one, have at least slight positive correlation with perceived positive brand image. Moreover, the correlations seem to be stronger when the sample is narrowed to illustrate only the perceptions of the followers. In Finnish context, it is most important to find the right influencer-brand match to improve or maintain a positive brand image. The rest of most correlated independent variables in descending order are influencer expertise, influencer motive, influencer trustworthiness, influencer attractiveness and similarity with influencer. The main realization is that influencer marketing is a multidimensional concept, and all the studied variables correlate with one another at some level. Companies should base their influencer characteristic estimations reflecting what is the target group of the brand or campaign. There are differences how people from Finland perceive some of the variables to affect the brand image versus people abroad do. There are also differences on the most impactful characteristics depending on whether the respondent is a follower or non-follower of an influencer. This thesis reduces the gap there is in Finnish research literature regarding the knowledge about influencer marketing and its connection to branding as well as brand image. This thesis additionally suggests further research to unravel whether there are other possible factors affecting branding through influencer marketing in Finland.Description
Thesis advisor
Tikkanen, HenrikkiSakhnovskaia, Elizaveta
Keywords
influencer marketing, branding, social media marketing, Finnish influencer marketing