Consumer Perceptions of Social Media Stars and Celebrity Influencers: The Moderating Role of Product Type

The purpose of this paper is to explore the variance in trust of consumers between celebrity influencers and social media stars (i.e., non-celebrity influencers). Social media stars have risen in popularity with the growth of social media. These individuals rose to prominence through building their own audience, while celebrity influencers were created by and remain relevant through the media. Existing research evaluates the relationships between celebrity influencers and social media stars and their audiences. These studies show evidence of consumer preference based on influencers’ attractiveness, trustworthiness, and credibility; however, there is no research on product type preference of consumers based on the influencer type (celebrity vs. social media star). In this thesis, I will investigate the effectiveness of celebrity influencers and social media stars between hedonic and utilitarian products to determine whether consumers have a preference between the two endorsers based on product category. This study will provide marketers with added assistance when selecting types of endorsers for future campaigns based on the product type