Jack of all trades, master of everything? Competing routes of consumer responses toward multiple product categories endorsements by fashion influencers

Abstract

ABSTRACT The match-up hypothesis has long been used to explain the nature of influencers’ endorsements, as influencers can only effectively endorse products that match their characteristics. However, the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) suggests that influencers’ perceived characteristics (i.e. competence) can be overgeneralized to other domains. Hence, this study aims to examine which theory is more applicable to explain the nature of influencers’ product endorsements in the context of fashion. A survey of 302 fashion consumers in Indonesia was conducted. The results contribute to the theory by confirming the relevance of SCM in explaining the nature of influencer’s endorsement by spotlighting the importance of not only competence stereotype but also warmth stereotype as represented by trust. However, the results could not rule out the match-up hypothesis that the product-influencer fit is still relevant especially when trust is not present. Future studies might benefit from exploring conditions where the SCM or the match-up hypothesis works better to explain an influencer’s endorsement.