Realization of influencer marketing in an international context: a multi-perspective comparison between Germany and China

As social media platforms rose in popularity in the last decade and became ubiquitous in daily life for users all over the globe brands strived for new methods to effectively convey their communication messages. One of the techniques that emerged is influencer marketing: It utilizes so-called influencers, allegedly normal social media users, who have a group of followers and are especially competent in influencing others, to take part in their social media campaigns against compensation. These influencers are considered as authentic and reliable sources of product information. This thesis aims to provide a summary of influencer marketing, including definitions, principles of influence and their role in consumer decision making processes. Furthermore, the question is raised, whether the preference of influencer marketing varies across cultures. In a survey among Chinese und German social media users, participants were asked to answer a questionnaire about several aspects of influencer marketing and sources of product information. In addition to a comparison of culture and prevailing social media platforms, the results showed that though the attitude of users towards influencer marketing appears to be quite similar, there are subtle differences in the motivation to experience product recommendations of influencers, the ascribed usefulness of presentation styles and trust in different sources of product information