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Abstract
The role of opinion leaders in the effectiveness of influence marketing and brand promotion (based on the example of cosmetics retail)
Kurovsky Stanislav Valerievich
LLC «Higher School of Education», Moscow, Russia
Ermakova Nataliya Mikhailovna
MGIMO University Odintsovo branch, Odintsovo, Russia
Mishin Denis Alexandrovich
LLC «Higher School of Education», Moscow, Russia
Sosnin Dmitry Andreevich
Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Perm, Russia
The article presents the results of the authors' empirical study of the effectiveness of influence marketing and product brand promotion in the Russian cosmetics market. The authors have developed a theoretical model that includes the parameters of opinion leaders (appearance, uniqueness, creativity and honesty), the interaction of opinion leaders with consumers of cosmetic products, brand image, actions of consumers of cosmetic products (brand effectiveness «here and now») and their attitude to the brand (long-term brand effectiveness). Eight main and six additional research hypotheses were put forward predicting cause-and-effect relationships within the framework of the theoretical model. An econometric analysis was conducted to estimate the influence of opinion leader parameters on the effectiveness of brand promotion and influence marketing by means of partial least squares structural equation modeling. Data collection was carried out through a sociological survey in the form of an online questionnaire consisting of 40 questions. The study involved 382 users (subscribers) of a popular video hosting service living in Moscow, who evaluated the activities of bloggers (opinion leaders) promoting cosmetic products of a well-known brand through their videos. The results of the study revealed that, with the exception of creativity, all parameters of opinion leaders have a positive impact on consumer participation (supported by the quality of content, but not by the conformity of the promoted product to the opinion leader). Consumer participation, in turn, has a positive effect on creating a brand image, which has a positive impact on brand effectiveness, including both long-term (brand loyalty) and short-term (willingness to recommend a product) aspects. Thus, the authors managed to empirically prove that brand image, consumer actions and brand attitude consistently shape the effectiveness of influence marketing.
Keywords: influence marketing; opinion leaders; cosmetics retail; brand image; consumer participation; brand loyalty; partial least squares structural equation modeling