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Marketing Strategy in the Age of Influence

Introduction

Mechanisms, Market Structures, and Value Creation, Special issue of the Marketing Management Journal; Deadline 15 Dec 2027

POSTING TYPE: Calls: Journals

Posted by: Laura Mu簽oz

Marketing Management Journal Call for Papers

Special Issue: Marketing Strategy in the Age of Influence: Mechanisms, Market Structures, and Value Creation. Spring 2027 Issue

Guest Editor: Dr. Antoinette J. Okono, Houston Christian University

Email: aokono@hc.edu

Over the past decade, influencer marketing has evolved from a peripheral digital tactic into a central organizing mechanism of contemporary marketing strategy. Firms are relying on creators, experts, and digital personalities to shape brand meaning, accelerate product discovery, and influence consumer decisions. A growing body of research has documented the communication mechanisms that drive these effects, parasocial interaction, source credibility, and relational trust, helping to establish influencer marketing as a legitimate domain within advertising and marketing scholarship (De Veirman, Cauberghe, & Hudders 2017; Lou & Yuan, 2019; Audrezet, De Kerviler, & Moulard, 2020; Ki, Cuevas, Chong, & Lim, 2020).

At the same time, the role of influence in the marketplace is undergoing rapid structural transformation. Creators now function not merely as endorsers but as market actors embedded within digital ecosystems involving brands, platforms, algorithms, and audiences. Platforms increasingly amplify or suppress content through algorithmic curation, further shaping perceptions of credibility and authority within these ecosystems (Cotter, 2019).

These shifts raise critical questions about how influence generates economic value and strategic advantage beyond traditional communication outcomes such as engagement and purchase intentions more recent studies emphasize parasocial bonds and authenticity (Djafarova & Rushworth, 2017; Audrezet et al., 2020); yet algorithmic amplification, creator professionalization, and hybrid commerce environments mean influence now redistributes credibility and narrative control, reshaping switching behavior, brand meaning, and competitive dynamics (Abidin, 2016; Duffy & Hund, 2015).

Intellectual Focus and Theoretical Tensions

Although influencer marketing has received considerable scholarly attention, much of the existing research remains fragmented across communication effects, endorsement studies, and social media engagement metrics. As a result, research frequently examines influencer phenomena at the level of individual campaigns rather than considering their broader implications for market structure and strategic competition. Thus, this special issue aims to advance a more integrated perspective by focusing on mechanism-level explanations of influence based on the following theoretical tensions.

First, as consumers increasingly rely on creators for information, traditional signals of brand credibility may weaken. When consumers see influencers as experts or authentic, credibility might shift from brands to individuals, potentially changing how trust is built and maintained in the market.

Second, parasocial relationships may function as relational switching mechanisms. Influencers can legitimize consumer shift between competing brands by reframing switching as identity evolution rather than disloyalty. Understanding when such relational cues overcome existing brand attachment remains an important theoretical question.

Third, algorithmic visibility structures may generate what can be described as endogenous credibility inflation, whereby creators appear authoritative not because of expertise but because of platform amplification. This raises questions about how consumers interpret engagement signals such as views, likes, and follower counts.

Finally, as firms increasingly depend on creators to access audiences, new forms of strategic dependence may emerge. Influencer partnerships can generate relational capital and cultural relevance, yet they may also reduce brand control over narrative framing and reputational risk.

MECHANISM FRAMEWORK

To guide submissions, we propose a general framework for examining influence as a market mechanism. Each layer builds on the prior, connecting communicative acts to cognitive processing, relational development, and ultimately strategic market outcomes.

  • Signal Generation: Influencer communication produces signals related to authenticity, expertise, identity alignment, and social endorsement.
  • Cognitive Interpretation: Consumers process these signals through mechanisms such as credibility attribution, identity alignment, and parasocial attachment.
  • Relational Formation: Repeated exposure generates relational outcomes, including trust formation, switching legitimacy, and perceived brand relevance.
  • Strategic Market Outcomes: These mechanisms shape broader outcomes, including brand equity formation, switching behavior, competitive positioning, ecosystem governance, and the distribution of market power.

METHODOLOGICAL EXPECTATIONS

Advancing research on influence as a strategic mechanism requires methodological approaches capable of capturing complex relational and ecosystem-level dynamics. Accordingly, this special issue encourages submissions employing diverse and rigorous research designs such as:

  • Experimental designs (e.g., controlled experiments, A/B testing) to identify causal pathways linking influencer signals to consumer responses and behavioral outcomes.
  • Survey-based and structural modeling approaches to examine relationships among constructs such as credibility, parasocial attachment, and switching behavior.
  • Computational and social media analytics to analyze large-scale platform data, including patterns of engagement, diffusion, and algorithmic amplification.
  • Qualitative and content-based approaches to uncover how influencer narratives shape meaning, identity, and brand perception.
  • Longitudinal and panel data to examine how influence evolves over time, particularly in relation to trust formation, loyalty, and market

Submissions that connect multiple stages of the mechanism (e.g., signals to relational outcomes, or relational outcomes to market-level effects), or that integrate multiple methods, are especially encouraged.

TOPICS OF INTEREST

We welcome submissions that address theoretically grounded questions about how influence operates within contemporary markets. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to.

Signal Generation and Interpretation

  • How do influencer signals (e.g., authenticity, expertise, identity alignment) shape credibility attribution and consumer judgment?
  • How do consumers interpret engagement metrics and visibility cues in algorithmically curated environments?

Relational Formation and Consumer Response

  • Through what cognitive processes do influencer signals (e.g., authenticity, expertise, identity alignment) shape credibility and decision-making?
  • Under what conditions does perceived authenticity substitute for traditional indicators of product quality?
  • How do consumers interpret engagement metrics and visibility cues in algorithmically curated environments?

Strategic Implications for Firms

  • How do parasocial relationships translate into trust, loyalty, and brand switching behavior?
  • How do influencer partnerships reshape brand control, narrative ownership, and reputational risk?
  • When do such partnerships create strategic advantage versus dependence?
  • How do firms balance authenticity, reach, and control in influencer strategy design?
  • How does influence reshape competitive positioning within brand ecosystems?

Platform Dynamics, Governance, and Market Power

  • How do algorithmic systems shape the distribution of visibility, credibility, and market power? How do algorithmic systems shape visibility, credibility, and perceived authority?
  • How do platform governance structures influence creatorbrand relationships and accountability?
  • How does algorithmic visibility redistribute market power across creators, firms, and platforms?
  • How do influencers accumulate and leverage power in ways that challenge firm-centric models of competition?

Measurement and Theory Development

  • How should influence be measured beyond engagement metrics to capture relational and market-level effects?
  • How can cross-platform influence and ecosystem spillovers be modeled?
  • Are existing persuasion and parasocial theories sufficient to explain influencer-driven markets?
  • Do current influencer typologies remain valid, or are new classification frameworks needed?

Influence has become a structural feature of contemporary digital markets, shaping how credibility, visibility, and relational authority are formed across creators, brands, and platforms. Understanding these dynamics requires a mechanism-based perspective that explains how signals are interpreted, relationships are built, and influence translates into strategic and market-level outcomes. This special issue seeks contributions that advance such explanations and clarify the role of influence in shaping competition and value creation.

Submissions will be accepted until December 15th, 2027, on the Marketing Management Journals website:

References

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Audrezet, A., De Kerviler, G., & Moulard, J. G. (2020). Authenticity under threat: When social media influencers need to go beyond self-presentation.JBR,泭117, 557569.

Banerjee, N., … & Bagherzadeh, R. (2025). Beyond the Facade: Exploring the Authenticity of Social Media Influencers and Its Influence on Consumer Brand Engagement and Advocacy.Journal of Promotion Management,泭31(7), 11141138.

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Djafarova, E., & Rushworth, C. (2017). Exploring the credibility of online celebrities’ Instagram profiles in influencing the purchase decisions of young female users.Computers in Human Behavior,泭68, 17.

Duffy, B. E., & Hund, E. (2015). Having it all on social media: Entrepreneurial femininity and self-branding among fashion bloggers.Social Media+ Society,泭1(2), 2056305115604337.

Gu, X., Zhang, X., & Kannan, P. K. (2024). Influencer mix strategies in livestream commerce: Impact on product sales.Journal of Marketing,泭88(4), 64-83.

Ki, C. W. C., Cuevas, L. M., Chong, S. M., & Lim, H. (2020). Influencer marketing: Social media influencers as human brands attaching to followers and yielding positive marketing results by fulfilling needs.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,泭55, 102133.

Leung, F. F., Gu, F. F., & Palmatier, R. W. (2022). Online influencer marketing.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,泭50(2), 226-251.

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Mouritzen, S. L. T., Penttinen, V., & Pedersen, S. (2024). Virtual influencer marketing: the good, the bad and the unreal.European Journal of Marketing,泭58(2), 410-440.

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