The challenge to be different in influencer marketing: Why and when negative meanings of influencers transfer to brands

Influencer marketing has long been recognized for its potential to increase brand equity. However, the mechanisms behind influencer effects on brands are not well understood. We propose that influencers and brands are facing a challenge: Consumers are likely to transfer influencers’ distinct meanings to the brand that differentiate them from other influencers and influencers’ distinct meanings are often negative. We tested our assumptions in three studies. We found that consumers are more likely to transfer an influencer’s distinct than shared meaning to the brand. Also, brand attitudes were affected more strongly by influencers’ distinct than shared meaning. When influencers had distinct negative and shared positive attributes, participants evaluated endorsed brands worse than when influencers had distinct positive and shared negative attributes. Participants also perceived negative attributes as more likely to be distinct between influencers than positive attributes. The findings indicate that for a successful endorsement, marketers should collaborate with influencers that differ from most other influencers in a positive way.