INFLUENCER MARKETING AND HUMAN CAPITAL

INFLUENCER MARKETING AND HUMAN CAPITAL: THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF EMPLOYEES IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Authors
Gennaro MAIONE, San Raffaele Roma University, Rome, Italy
Mario D’ARCO, University of Sannio, Benevento, Italy
Orlando TROISI, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
Corrado DE CRISTOFARO, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy

Abstract
Influencer marketing is a strategy aimed at driving consumers' brand awareness and/or their purchasing decisions by leveraging the influence of opinion leaders (Brown & Hayes, 2008; Scott, 2015). Influencer marketing scholars have so far paid attention to influencers outside the company (social media personalities not affiliated with the company) and their ability to stimulate trust in consumers and guide their purchase intentions (Lou & Yuan, 2019), while limited attention has been paid to the managerial implications deriving from the ability of internal subjects to influence (internal influencers). Awareness of the effectiveness of the influencer marketing strategy has sparked debate in the food industry about the extent to which internal and external influencers can influence consumers. Previous research suggests that authenticity and credibility are key drivers of influencer effectiveness (Audrezet et al., 2020), making internal influencers a potential strategic asset for brands undergoing digital transformation. The aim of this study, in line with the theory of the human mark (Kowalczyk & Pounders, 2016), is to analyse how consumers perceive employees versus external influencers in terms of credibility, authenticity, and emotional connection to the brand. This study will help fill a gap in the literature on influencer marketing. The methodology adopted for this study is a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, which allows us to analyse the joint effects of influencer type and the value alignment between the brand and the influencer on three dependent variables: consumer trust, consumer engagement, and purchase intention. The results of this work, in line with the literature on the topic under analysis (van Driel & Dumitrica, 2021), reveal that internal influencers elicit greater consumer trust and heighten perceptions of authenticity, whereas external influencers generate higher levels of consumer engagement.