Title: Measuring the comparative efficacy of an attractive celebrity influencer vis-à-vis an expert influencer - a fashion industry perspective

Authors: Jay P. Trivedi

Addresses: MICA, Telav, Ghuma road, Shela, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380058, India

Abstract: The usage of influencer marketing is on the rise globally. Fashion and lifestyle industry is one of the top most sectors using influencer marketing strategy. However, fashion marketers are facing the conundrum of employing a fashion expert vis-à-vis an attractive celebrity as an influencer. This research attempts to provide a solution to this dilemma by measuring the comparative efficacy of these influencers. Descriptive research design was used to conduct the research. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to 369 respondents belonging to the Gen Y (born after 1980) cohort. The respondents followed celebrities and fashion experts on digital media platforms. Statistical tools like Cronbach's alpha, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and regression were used to arrive at scientific results. The results established that attractive celebrity influencers induced a higher impact on Gen Y vis-à-vis expert influencers.

Keywords: influencer marketing; celebrity influencers; expert influencers; message process involvement; MPI; purchase intentions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJECRM.2018.093771

International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management, 2018 Vol.11 No.3, pp.256 - 271

Received: 21 Feb 2018
Accepted: 27 Apr 2018
Published online: 03 Aug 2018 *

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