Authenticity in influencer marketing: how can influencers and brands work together to build and maintain influencer authenticity?
Author(s)
Duffek, Barbara
Eisingerich, Andreas
Merlo, Omar
Lee, Guan
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This study examines how different stakeholders perceive influencer authenticity, revealing the misalignments that arise when each group prioritizes different aspects of authenticity. In doing so, the authors generate new theory on influencer marketing and provide managerial insights for brands and agencies to collaborate effectively with influencers to resolve these misalignments and ultimately build and sustain influencer authenticity. Using exploratory, in-depth interviews with consumers, influencers, brand managers, and influencer marketing agencies, the study triangulates stakeholder perspectives on influencer authenticity. Specifically, it examines the misalignment among these groups through the lens of assemblage theory and explores how these misalignments may be resolved to produce successful and lasting influencer assemblages. Finally, it explores how influencer marketing agencies can help manage authenticity misalignments.
Date Issued
2025-02-06
Date Acceptance
2025-01-25
Citation
Journal of Marketing, 2025
ISSN
0022-2429
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Marketing
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage). Request permissions for this article.
Identifier
10.1177/00222429251319786
Subjects
influencer marketing
authenticity
influencer authenticity
influencers
brand management
assemblage theory
Publication Status
Published online
Date Publish Online
2025-02-06