The Influence of De-Influencing: Examining the Effect of Negative Endorsements by Social Media Influencers
College
College of Business (Strome)
Department
Marketing
Graduate Level
Doctoral
Graduate Program/Concentration
Business Administration
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
As an integral aspect of their branding and marketing strategies, companies often employ social media influencers (SMIs), characterized as individuals who leverage social media to build online connections, expand their influence (i.e., gain social capital), and, in many cases, seek compensation for their efforts (Fowler & Thomas, 2023). The influencer marketing industry is forecasted to grow from $21.1 billion in 2022 to $22.3 billion in 2024 and to reach $84.89 billion by 2028. SMI endorsements can boost brand attitudes, drive purchase intentions, build brand trust, and foster brand loyalty, all while enhancing brand image and increasing the bottom line for brands. Collectively, research indicates that incorporating influencers into a brand's communication strategy is frequently beneficial.
Nevertheless, there exists a limited understanding among both academics and practitioners regarding the detrimental effects of influencers on a brand. To fill this knowledge gap, this research focuses on the question: "What happens when influencers provide negative brand feedback?" While existing literature predominantly concentrates on favorable brand endorsements by SMIs, our study explores the emerging phenomenon of "de-influencing”, when an influencer posts a negative brand endorsement. Notably, a recent trend on TikTok involves influencers creating content to dissuade consumers from purchasing a product or excessive spending on luxury brands.
To understand the phenomenon of de-influencing, we first define de-influencing as a situation in which influencers provide an authentic and honest negative review of a brand and encourage followers to not use the brand due to reasons such as high price, low quality, etc. Drawing on balance theory (Heider, 1958) and negativity bias (e.g., Rozin & Royzman, 2001), we argue that: 1) de-influencing prompts followers to express unfavorable attitudes toward the brand, 2) the impact of a negative brand endorsement is expected to outweigh that of a positive endorsement, and 3) de-influencing not only harms the brand but also offers no benefit to the influencer.
To support these hypotheses, an experimental approach is employed where across two scenario-based experiments, 349 participants (MAge = 35, 44% female) were recruited via Prolific, an online research platform commonly used within the field. The findings indicate that when influencers deliver negative (vs. positive) brand endorsements, it leads to unfavorable (vs. unfavorable) brand attitudes and lower (vs. higher) engagement intentions. Significantly, the impact of a negative endorsement on followers' attitudes is more pronounced compared to a positive endorsement. Furthermore, the results reveal that the influence of negative (vs. positive) endorsements remains consistent for both unknown brands and brands toward which consumers already have pre-existing attitudes.
Focused on de-influencing, this work acknowledges the major role of influencers and contributes to the literature exploring advertising and influencer marketing through the lens of balance theory and negativity bias. This work contributes to the growing trend in brand hate and anti-consumption communication strategies among SMIs and the existing literature on negative brand sentiments. To the best of our knowledge, though, this could be among the first works investigating the outcomes of negative strategies used by SMIs within the field.
Keywords
De-influencing, balance theory, negativity bias, social media influencer, brand endorsements, influencer marketing
The Influence of De-Influencing: Examining the Effect of Negative Endorsements by Social Media Influencers
As an integral aspect of their branding and marketing strategies, companies often employ social media influencers (SMIs), characterized as individuals who leverage social media to build online connections, expand their influence (i.e., gain social capital), and, in many cases, seek compensation for their efforts (Fowler & Thomas, 2023). The influencer marketing industry is forecasted to grow from $21.1 billion in 2022 to $22.3 billion in 2024 and to reach $84.89 billion by 2028. SMI endorsements can boost brand attitudes, drive purchase intentions, build brand trust, and foster brand loyalty, all while enhancing brand image and increasing the bottom line for brands. Collectively, research indicates that incorporating influencers into a brand's communication strategy is frequently beneficial.
Nevertheless, there exists a limited understanding among both academics and practitioners regarding the detrimental effects of influencers on a brand. To fill this knowledge gap, this research focuses on the question: "What happens when influencers provide negative brand feedback?" While existing literature predominantly concentrates on favorable brand endorsements by SMIs, our study explores the emerging phenomenon of "de-influencing”, when an influencer posts a negative brand endorsement. Notably, a recent trend on TikTok involves influencers creating content to dissuade consumers from purchasing a product or excessive spending on luxury brands.
To understand the phenomenon of de-influencing, we first define de-influencing as a situation in which influencers provide an authentic and honest negative review of a brand and encourage followers to not use the brand due to reasons such as high price, low quality, etc. Drawing on balance theory (Heider, 1958) and negativity bias (e.g., Rozin & Royzman, 2001), we argue that: 1) de-influencing prompts followers to express unfavorable attitudes toward the brand, 2) the impact of a negative brand endorsement is expected to outweigh that of a positive endorsement, and 3) de-influencing not only harms the brand but also offers no benefit to the influencer.
To support these hypotheses, an experimental approach is employed where across two scenario-based experiments, 349 participants (MAge = 35, 44% female) were recruited via Prolific, an online research platform commonly used within the field. The findings indicate that when influencers deliver negative (vs. positive) brand endorsements, it leads to unfavorable (vs. unfavorable) brand attitudes and lower (vs. higher) engagement intentions. Significantly, the impact of a negative endorsement on followers' attitudes is more pronounced compared to a positive endorsement. Furthermore, the results reveal that the influence of negative (vs. positive) endorsements remains consistent for both unknown brands and brands toward which consumers already have pre-existing attitudes.
Focused on de-influencing, this work acknowledges the major role of influencers and contributes to the literature exploring advertising and influencer marketing through the lens of balance theory and negativity bias. This work contributes to the growing trend in brand hate and anti-consumption communication strategies among SMIs and the existing literature on negative brand sentiments. To the best of our knowledge, though, this could be among the first works investigating the outcomes of negative strategies used by SMIs within the field.