‘You really are a great big sister’ – parasocial relationships,credibility, and the moderating role of audience comments in influencer marketing

ABSTRACT

This study examines the moderating role of audience comments in influencer marketing. A YouTube vlog entry by a social media influencer featuring the endorsement of a brand was studied, and an experimental design featuring two conditions related to audience comments was created. The results indicate that a parasocial relationship with the influencer builds the perceived credibility of the influencer, while comments by other audience members moderate the effect. Influencer credibility positively affects brand trust and purchase intention. The findings enhance the understanding of the role of an active audience in influencer marketing.     

How does social trust affect corporate financial performance? The mediating role of corporate social responsibility

Prior studies assert that social trust may positively influence the economic performance of countries and firms (within those countries). This paper proposes a more nuanced mechanism whereby corporate social responsibility (CSR) mediates the relationship between country-level social trust and firm-level financial performance. Anchored in neo-institutional theory, we theorize that social trust instills norms of trustworthiness and willingness to trust others guiding individual and corporate behaviors. In order to comply with such norms and gain legitimacy, firms in high-trust society are more likely to commit to CSR activities that serve the interests of stakeholders. CSR activities, in turn, can positively influence financial performance by enabling firms to access stakeholders' resources and capabilities and to decrease transactions costs in the stakeholder relationships. We tested our theory by analyzing 9818 firm-year observations across 34 countries, during the 2006 to 2015 period. Our analysis shows the expected CSR mediation in the relationship between social trust and firm-level financial performance. Our findings are robust across different models addressing the concerns of endogeneity, alternative measures, and potential moderators.     

Social commerce: Is interpersonal trust formation similar between U.S.A. and Spain?

In social commerce, interpersonal trust when individuals communicate is key among the parties. The main objective of this study is to investigate how the consequent variables, “interpersonal trust” and “users’ intention”, are impacted by the antecedents of trust-building and cultural dimensions when people are engaged in social commerce. The research model is substantiated using data collected in the U.S.A. and Spain. While all the trust-building antecedents have significant positive impact upon trust, there are cultural differences between the countries. The findings can be of interest to global marketing managers and information officers.     

共享经济下消费者信任的形成机理及影响机制

在对336份调研问卷实证分析基础上,从在线信任理论、制度信任理论及社会渗透理论出发,对我国共享经济下消费者信任的前因和后果及其作用机制进行研究,认为制度机制有效性感知是能代表审核与认证机制有效性感知、隐私保证机制有效性感知和安全保障机制有效性感知的形成性二阶变量,对消费者信任有显著正向影响;与供方互动有效性感知对消费者信任的正向影响不显著,与其他消费者互动有效性感知对消费者信任的正向影响显著;消费者信任对持续共享意愿有显著正向影响,并对感知风险有显著负向影响;制度机制有效性和社会互动有效性对消费者信任的影响存在显著的性别差异,即性别对这两条路径具有调节效应。因此,共享经济平台企业应建立健全管理制度,构建安全、信赖、可靠的在线交易环境,提高消费者的信任和信心,以实现共享平台的可持续发展;共享平台应优化平台网站界面,充分利用社交媒体和社交网络,构建线上和线下平台共享社区,释放共享平台在基层民主治理创新方面的活力;政府主管部门应牢牢把握消费者安全至上的发展理念,加强与平台企业之间的数据共享,建立和完善共享平台与政府部门联动的应急处置机制和风险防范化解机制,形成多元主体协同治理新格局;基于消费数据,共享平台应对市场进行有效细分,制定有针对性的差异化运营策略和营销策略,最大化满足消费者个性需求。     

社会化媒体是否能促进网络购买?——基于技术接受模型的实证研究

近年来社会化媒体迅速发展,逐渐成为比传统媒体更有效的传播渠道。社会化媒体营销通过互联网和移动互联网传播得以实现。在网络情境中,个体、技术、质量和环境等因素均与线下购买情境截然不同。以技术接受模型为理论基础研究在网络情境中社会化媒体对网络消费者购买意愿的影响机制,以结构方程模型的研究方法探索信息丰富度、用户真实性、兼容贯通性和隐私保密性等因素对网络消费者购买意愿的影响,以及感知有用性、感知易用性和信任的中介作用。研究发现,在以上因素影响购买意愿的过程中,感知易用性是兼容贯通性、信息丰富度和用户真实性的中介因素,感知有用性是信息丰富度的中介因素,信任是信息丰富度和用户真实性的中介因素。同时发现,信任在感知易用性影响感知有用性中起中介作用,且信任直接影响网络消费者的购买意愿。     

企业社会责任与企业绩效：基于顾客信任与认同的研究

本文基于营销回报模型,通过二手数据与调查数据的结合,分析顾客信任和顾客认同在企业社会责任与企业绩效关系中的中介作用,从顾客关系的角度讨论企业社会责任与企业绩效之间的关系,发现顾客信任与认同在企业社会责任与企业绩效的关系中起到了部分中介作用。     

The Role of Consumers' Trust in Online-Shopping

Many consumers are sceptical or suspicious about the functional mechanisms of electronic commerce, its intransparent processes and effects, and the quality of many products that are offered online. This paper analyses the role of consumer trust as a foundation for the diffusion and acceptance of electronic commerce. Starting from a functional perspective trust is seen as distinct but potentially coexisting mechanism for reducing the uncertainty and complexity of transactions and relationships in electronic markets. The analysis focuses on conditions of e-commerce transactions that are relevant for the formation of trust problems. Drawing on the theory of information two types of uncertainty are described: system-dependent and transaction-specific uncertainty. Finally different activities and instruments are described and categorized that Internet firms can use to establish and maintain trust.     

企业声誉、两级信任与组织间关系

以在华外资企业采购为视角,从组织间两级信任出发,以关系投资、协同和响应为落脚点,提出并检查了全新的中国本土企业关系管理思路。研究发现:社会责任、公平和可信对组织间信任具有正效应,而创新、公平和可信则显著影响人际信任;组织间信任和人际信任均显著影响关系质量;在环境不确定背景下,组织间信任和人际信任可以有效规避环境波动,确保组织间关系的长期和稳定发展。     

How do social media influencers inspire consumers' purchase decisions? The mediating role of parasocial relationships

In recent years, social media influencers (SMIs) have become part of the strategic communication of firms because the traditional form of mass media communication is losing its effectiveness. Thus, it is imperative to study the effects of communication through SMIs on marketing outcomes, such as purchase intentions. Based on the fairness dimensions, that is, information, distributive, interpersonal, and procedural, and dimensions of source credibility, that is, attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity, this research investigated how technology-oriented SMIs (T-SMIs) foster parasocial relationships (PSRs) with followers. Purposive sampling was employed to collect data from 506 active social media users. Data were analysed through IBM AMOS and SPSS 26. The results of the study suggested that attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, similarity, interpersonal, procedural, and information fairness are positively related to fostering PSR with followers. In contrast, distributive fairness does not strengthen PSR with followers; furthermore, the study findings suggested an indirect positive influence of attractiveness, expertise, trustworthiness, similarity, interpersonal, procedural, and information fairness on the purchase intentions of consumers via PSR. This study is useful for academia and industry since it fills important gaps in the literature and provides recommendations to brand managers of technology companies about selecting appropriate SMIs for the endorsement of their brands.     

Behavioral Model of Younger Users in M-Payment Systems

This article contributes to the research area concerned with behaviors of young users in virtual environments. More specifically, we study their purchasing behaviors on the Internet and the acceptance of the new mobile payment tools that are being used. To perform this research, a web experiment involving a new short-message-service (SMS) mobile payment system is performed. Data from young users who participate in the experiment are used to analyze a behavioral model of factors potentially influencing intentions to adopt the new mobile payment system. The analysis shows how trust, ease of use, and risk are key elements of the intention to use the new tool by persons in a young-user population. Findings and their implications for management provide companies with alternatives to seize this new business opportunity in light of new technological developments. This article is an initial study of behavioral intention with SMS mobile payment, especially among younger users.