Colleague 1
Lyndsay Camaroto,
Hello,
This is relatively difficult to narrow down. I am not a big social media person, and I don’t really spend time on platforms where there are social media influencers. I would say that if I am seeking information on an item or service, it is based on word of mouth or conversation I have with other people. I would say the biggest thing that I can say I get influenced by is the books I read. I love certain genres and can spend hours talking about different books I have read, and hear what others have read, and getting an idea of different ones I “need” to get next. Going out shopping, you see the books that are highlighted as new, best seller, reader preferred, etc. I own hundreds of books, and I trade, buy, sell to either get someone interested in an author I enjoy or to get books of an author that I am interested in or series that I have seen or heard about that I wanted to read.
I think that just having an open dialect and talking with others that like to read as much as I do, it helps allow for opportunity to access new series or authors that I haven’t explored yet. I tend to stick to certain genres on my own, but when I partake in different discussions, I gain insight on different genres and can navigate if it would be something I’d be interested in or not. Therefore, having these open conversations, I can say that these conversations are influencing and guiding.
I think the benefits are it allows us to build connections, provides insight and promotion to something that others have enjoyed and that I would enjoy. I think it is a great way to “sell” a product and gives opportunity to build loyalty to an author or even genre.
I think a negative would be a situation where I may have a book on my wish list, or even on my bookshelf that I have yet to read, and in conversations with another person who may not have enjoyed it, would possibly cloud my judgement. I have had instances where I have left a book sit and be daunted by wanting to read it because of a bad review, and there are times when I have agreed with that review, but others that I found I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Colleague 2
Kiarrah Hayden,
A friend of mine was first introduced to the brand Glossier, a beauty and skincare company, through the influencer Emily Weiss, who originally gained traction by sharing authentic beauty routines and user-generated content on social media. The specific product my friend tried was the Boy Brow eyebrow gel, which Weiss frequently promoted, and which became one of Glossier’s signature items. The influencer’s personal connection to the brand—having built it from her blog “Into the Gloss”—made the promotion feel less like a sales pitch and more like a trusted recommendation.
The effectiveness of Emily Weiss as an influencer was clear. My friend admitted that she was persuaded to try the product largely because she trusted Weiss’s authenticity and relatability. This aligns with research on consumer behavior showing that social media influencers can drive innovation adoption and brand loyalty when they create personal connections with audiences (Kiely, 2017). In this case, the endorsement was successful in converting awareness into purchase.
Influencer marketing has several benefits compared to other traditional forms of marketing. First, it enables authentic engagement, since influencers communicate with their audience in a conversational and trusted way (Haas, McClain, McInerney, & Timelin, 2020). Second, it offers targeted reach, as influencers typically cater to niche communities, allowing brands to access highly relevant consumers. Third, influencers can help brands accelerate market entry in emerging or frontier markets by leveraging pre-established trust, something that is critical when traditional marketing may be less effective (Christensen, Ojomo, & Dillon, 2019).
However, there are risks in collaborating with influencers. One significant risk is reputation damage if the influencer engages in controversial behavior that reflects poorly on the brand. A real-world example of this was seen with YouTuber Logan Paul, who lost brand deals with companies like PepsiCo and YouTube Red after posting a highly controversial video in 2017. The incident highlighted how closely a brand’s reputation can become tied to an influencer’s personal actions, sometimes resulting in long-term damage.
References:
Christensen, C. M., Ojomo, E., & Dillon, K. (2019, January 1). Cracking frontier markets. Harvard Business Review, 97(1), 90–101.
Haas, S., McClain, J., McInerney, P., & Timelin, B. (2020, October 16). Reimagining consumer-goods innovation for the next normal. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/reimagining-consumer-goods-innovation-for-the-next-normalLinks to an external site.
Kiely, T. J. (2017, August 2). How social media can drive product innovation. Falcon.IO. https://www.falcon.io/insights-hub/topics/customer-engagement/social-media-can-drive-product-innovation-social-listening/Links to an external site.
