Petfluencers, the fur-mula for sincere endorsements : examining how and when pets exhibit greater persuasion as influencers
Lavertu, Laura and Kulow, Katina and Cowan, Kirsten and Marder, Ben (2025) Petfluencers, the fur-mula for sincere endorsements : examining how and when pets exhibit greater persuasion as influencers. Journal of Advertising Research. ISSN 1740-1909 (https://doi.org/10.1080/00218499.2025.2463707)
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Abstract
The use of social media influencers (SMIs) is of growing interest to advertisers as well as researchers. Though, to date, much research focuses on human influencers. Increasingly, advertising agencies and brands are turning to animal influencers to promote brands. Given the rise of the ‘petfluencer’, the authors investigate factors which could lead pets to be more persuasive than humans, and if so, why. In four studies, including one field study and one laboratory experiment, this research supports that petfluencers (vs. human SMIs) can be more persuasive. These effects are driven by increased perceptions of sincerity associated with petfluencers. Additionally, the authors argue that petfluencers are more persuasive when the petfluencer’s message matches consumers’ mindset by being present- (vs. future-) oriented.
ORCID iDs
Lavertu, Laura
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Item type: Article ID code: 92417 Dates: DateEvent14 March 2025Published14 March 2025Published Online4 December 2024AcceptedSubjects: Social Sciences > Commerce > Marketing. Distribution of products Department: Strathclyde Business School > Marketing Depositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 21 Mar 2025 08:36 Last modified: 26 Mar 2025 02:22 URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/92417