蹤獲扦夥厙

INTEREST CATEGORY: INNOVATION AND TECH
POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals

Posted by: Michael Haenlein

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Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science
Call for Papers for a Special Issue

From Buzz to Business: Analyzing the Post-Hype Phase of Influencer Marketing

Edited by

Michael Haenlein, ESCP Business School & ULMS
P.K. Kannan, University of Maryland
Eitan Muller, New York University

Submission Deadline: February 1, 2025

Introduction and Background

Since the seminal work of Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955), published nearly seven decades ago, the idea that the personal influence of a small group of people, called opinion leaders, market mavens, or simply influencers, can accelerate the diffusion and adoption of new products has been a cornerstone of marketing communication. It has resulted in the widespread use of word-of-mouth programs (Haenlein and Libai, 2017) to accelerate sales and expand markets (Libai et al., 2013). The strategic use of influencer marketing has become a central aspect of digital marketing (Kannan and Li, 2017; Leung et al., 2022a; Leung et al., 2022b). Prior work has analyzed a wide range of drivers of effectiveness for (online) influencer marketing, including social network characteristics (Muller and Peres, 2019), interactions with other marketing mix elements (Dost et al., 2019), optimal seeding strategies (Lanz et al., 2019; Wies et al., 2023), and the impact of different social media channels on influencer marketing strategies (Haenlein et al., 2020).

In recent years, however, influencer marketing has evolved into a mature phase. This signifies a pivotal shift in its importance and study within the marketing discipline as influencer marketing becomes a standard digital marketing tool. Understanding its nuances and future trajectory is crucial. This special issue aims to offer a broadened perspective on influencer marketing beyond the questions that shape the current research in this field. It aims to comprehensively examine influencer marketing as an accepted marketing tool kit that should integrate with other tools and frameworks to improve profitability and highlight the necessity to investigate novel questions and challenges.

Suggested Topics

This special issue aims to showcase high-quality, high-impact scholarship that investigates new challenges in the maturing world of influencer marketing. Empirical, conceptual, and methodological papers, including meta-analyses, are welcome, though all contributions should advance theory and/or address a real-world challenge. Theoretical and empirical submissions are invited from all domains, including marketing strategy, analytical/empirical modeling, and consumer behavior. The following topics represent a range of potential ideas, issues, and concepts. They are not comprehensive, and we welcome authors to contact the guest editors to discuss the appropriateness of other topics related to the theme of this special issue.

Understanding the Influence of Content Curation Algorithms

Modern platforms leverage advanced content curation algorithms to determine the visibility of content to users. In many cases, these algorithms do not limit themselves to content from influencers users follow. They are, therefore, crucial in deciding which content and influencers gain prominence and significantly influence growth trajectories. Which optimal curation algorithm choices exist? What is the optimal mix of different influencer types from a platform perspective? What can brands and influencers do to mitigate these effects?

Navigating Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Influencer Marketing

Traditionally, influencer marketing has been asynchronous, with users posting content and engagement building up over time. Today, more and more influencers use synchronous channels or livestreaming, where content product, consumption, and engagement occur simultaneously. How does such synchronous influencer marketing differ from the more traditional kind? How does it impact perceptions of authenticity, marketing outcomes, or the well-being of influencers and followers?

Shifting The Equity Triangle: Firm, Influencers, Platforms

The tripartite relationship between brands, influencers, and platforms in influencer marketing creates a unique equity dynamic, with each party contributing differently. One can think of the influencer as a tool that helps a firm create customer equity (the sum of customer lifetime values) through co-designing content and co-branding with the influencer. From the influencers��� side, they build a community of engaged followers that help them make their own profit, which can be labeled ���follower equity.��� The platform (such as TikTok or Instagram) creates ���platform equity��� by profiting from the followers via the influencers. What are the main drivers of these three equities, and how can they be measured? How do they relate to each other? Which conflicts exist, and how do they mirror conflicts traditionally known in marketing (e.g., channel conflicts)? How do brands and influencers select each other with the most brand-image congruence, set their marketing goals, and adjust strategies in this process?

Optimizing Influencer Lifecycle Management

Influencers face the challenge of managing their lifecycle, including the definition of a personalized content strategy, the creation of brand partnerships, and the personal management of burnout. They must do all of this while maintaining well-being amidst the pressures of content creation, audience expectations, and monetization. Additionally, influencers must navigate generational audience shifts and address factors contributing to potential declines in popularity and relevance, such as audience fatigue and market saturation. Effective lifecycle management is essential for sustaining influencer viability and success.

Exploring New Horizons in Influencer Marketing

The advent of virtual/AI influencers, alongside developments in emotional AI and augmented/virtual reality, is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. The advent of data-driven AI technologies is also shaping the brand-influencer-platform partnership dynamics. These innovations offer new avenues for enhancing authenticity, consumer engagement, and personalized marketing experiences. However, they also introduce challenges related to hyper-personalization and privacy concerns. Addressing these challenges is vital for leveraging the full potential of these technological advancements in influencer marketing, balancing innovation and profitability with consumer rights and expectations.

Submission Guidelines and Deadlines:

Papers targeting the special issue should be submitted through the JAMS submission system (), and will undergo a similar review process as regularly submitted papers. Submissions for the special issue begin January 1, 2025 with the final deadline for submissions being February 1, 2025. Questions pertaining to the special issue should be submitted to one of the special issue editors.

Biographies

Michael Haenlein is a Professor of Marketing at ESCP Business School in Paris, holds the Chair of Responsible Research in Marketing at the University of Liverpool Management School, and is an Adjunct Professor at Trinity Business School of Trinity College Dublin. His main area of expertise is the impact of new technologies on firms and consumers. Within this space, Michael has worked on questions related to online retailing, social media, influencer marketing, mobile gaming, and, more recently, artificial intelligence, video gaming, and live streaming. Michael counts among the Top 25 most cited researchers in the field of marketing worldwide and received the Jan-Benedict Steenkamp Award for long-term impact in marketing. He is an Area Editor or part of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, IJRM, and Journal of Retailing. Michael is also the President-Elect Designate of the Academic Council of the 蹤獲扦夥厙 (蹤獲扦夥厙) and the Vice President of Publications at the European Marketing Academy (EMAC).

P. K. Kannan is Dean’s Chair in Marketing Science and Professor of Marketing at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. His current research stream focuses on digital marketing and AI applications, influencer marketing, mobile marketing, and media mix modeling. His research papers have been published in top marketing journals, and his research has won the John Little Award, ISMS Practice Prize Award, 蹤獲扦夥厙/MSI Paul Root Award, and been finalists for the Paul Green Award. He is a Fellow of the European Marketing Academy (EMAC) and an EMAC Distinguished Marketing Scholar. He serves as associate editor for the Journal of Marketing and Journal of Marketing Research and senior editor for Production and Operations Management. PK is the Chair of the 蹤獲扦夥厙 SIG on Marketing Research and has chaired the INFORMS Service Science section.

Eitan Muller is a Research Professor at the Stern School of Business, New York University. He earned a B.Sc. (with distinction) in mathematics from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, an MBA (with distinction) in marketing, and a Ph.D. in managerial economics from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. His research interests are in new product, new tech and disruption, and pricing. He has published extensively in journals in marketing, business, and economics, with more than 27,000 citations in Google Scholar. He has won several awards, including the Harold Maynard Award for significant contribution to marketing theory and thought and the Distinguished Marketing Scholar Award of the European Marketing Academy for outstanding marketing scholarship and contributions to the European Marketing Academy as well as the marketing community at large.

References

Dost, Florian, Ulrike Phieler, Michael Haenlein, and Barak Libai, Seeding as Part of the Marketing Mix: Word-of-Mouth Program Interactions for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Journal of Marketing. Mar 2019, Vol. 83 Issue 2, p62-81

Haenlein, Michael, and Barak Libai, Seeding, Referral, and Recommendation: Creating profitable Word-of-Mouth Programs, California Management Review. Winter 2017, Vol. 59 Issue 2, p68-91

Haenlein, Michael, Ertan Anadol, Tyler Farnsworth, Harry Hugo, Jess Hunichen, and Diana Welte, Navigating the New Era of Influencer Marketing: How to be Successful on Instagram, TikTok, & Co. California Management Review. Nov 2020, Vol. 63 Issue 1, p5-25

Kannan, P.K., and Hongshuang ���Alice��� Li, Digital marketing: A framework, review and research agenda, International Journal of Research in Marketing. Mar 2017, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p22-45

Katz, E., & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1955). Personal influence: the part played by people in the flow of mass communications. Free Press.

Lanz, Andreas, Jacob Goldenberg, Daniel Shapira, and Florian Stahl, Climb or Jump: Status-Based Seeding in User-Generated Content Networks, Journal of Marketing Research. Jun 2019, Vol. 56 Issue 3, p361-378

Leung, Fine F, Flora F. Gu, and Robert W. Palmatier, Online influencer marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Mar 2022, Vol. 50 Issue 2, p226-251

Leung, Fine F, Flora F. Gu, Yiwei Li, Jonathan Z. Zhang, and Robert W. Palmatier, Influencer Marketing Effectiveness, Journal of Marketing. Nov 2022, Vol. 86 Issue 6, p93-115

Libai, Barak, Eitan Muller, and Renana Peres, Decomposing the Value of Word-of-Mouth Seeding Programs: Acceleration Versus Expansion. Journal of Marketing Research. Apr 2013, Vol. 50 Issue 2, p161-176

Muller, Eitan, and Renana Peres, The effect of social networks structure on innovation performance: A review and directions for research. International Journal of Research in Marketing. Mar 2019, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p3-19

Wies, Simone, Alexander Bleier, and Alexander Edeling, Finding Goldilocks Influencers: How Follower Count Drives Social Media Engagement, Journal of Marketing. May 2023, Vol. 87 Issue 3, p383-405