The professionalism of influencers
Their image from the perspective of public relations agencies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29105/gmjmx19.37-489Keywords:
influencers, image, public relations, social media, communicationAbstract
Influencers are increasingly relevant in the communication of organizations. Their growing participation in promotion campaigns has boosted their image, while their visibility among the general public has grown. But, given that they are new actors who bring different elements and work methods to the communication arena, their fit in the traditional agencies may require some adjustments. This article addresses, specifically, the collaboration between influencers and public relations firms, and the consideration of their managers about the professionalism of this figure. In order to do that, studies carried out in recent years on these new players in the corporate communication processes, are reviewed first. Second, the results of two surveys, administered to public relations agencies in Spain and the United States, are analyzed in order to understand the current situation regarding their professionalization, opinions and future prospects in both countries. With the results of both methods, this paper intends to reveal the real repercussion of these new brand prescribers in the current communicative activity, presenting conclusions that could be useful, both for public relations professionals and for future research.
Downloads
References
btube (2022, May 3). El número de influencers profesionales en España ha crecido un 23%. Linkedin. https://bit.ly/3LJakZL
ADC – Asociación de Consultoras de Comunicación (2022). Socios. ADC. https://www.asociacionadc.org/socios/
Archer, C. (2019). Social media influencers, post-feminism and neoliberalism: How mum bloggers’ ‘playbour’ is reshaping public relations. Public Relations Inquiry, 8(2), 149–166. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147x19846530 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X19846530
Autocontrol (2020). Código de conducta sobre el uso de influencers en la publicidad. Autocontrol. https://bit.ly/3DUAHKk
Bakker, D. (2018). Conceptualising influencer marketing. Journal of Emerging Trends in Marketing and Management, 1(1), 79-87. https://bit.ly/3rt7GhD
Borchers, N. S., & Enke, N. (2021). Managing strategic influencer communication: a systematic overview on emerging planning, organization, and controlling routines. Public Relations Review, 47(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102041 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102041
Burclaff, N. (2019). Influencer marketing: a research guide. Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/influencer-marketing
Campbell, C., & Rapp Farrell, J. (2020). More than meets the eye: the functional components underlying influencer marketing. Business Horizons, 63(4), 469-479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.03.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.03.003
Castelló Martínez, A., & Del Pino Romero, C. (2015). La comunicación publicitaria con influencers. Redmarka. Revista De Marketing Aplicado, 1(14), 21-50. https://doi.org/10.17979/redma.2015.01.014.4880 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17979/redma.2015.01.014.4880
Charest, F., Bouffard J., & Zajmovic, E. (2016). Public relations and social media: deliberate or creative strategic planning. Public Relations Review, 42(4), 530-538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2016.03.008
Comunicare (s.f.). Agencias Relaciones Públicas. Comunicare. https://bit.ly/3r6rYgF
Darley, W., Blankson, C., & Luethge, D. (2010). Toward an integrated framework for online consumer behavior and decision making process: a review. Psychology and Marketing, 27(2), 94-116. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20322 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20322
Davies, C., & Hobbs, M. (2020). Irresistible possibilities: examining the uses and consequences of social media influencers for contemporary public relations. Public Relations Review, 46(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101983 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101983
Enke, N., & Borchers, N. S. (2019). Social media influencers in strategic communication: A conceptual framework of strategic social media influencer communication. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 13(4), 261–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118x.2019.1620234 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2019.1620234
García-Soria, J. (2015). Bases conceptuales y empíricas del nuevo consumidor digital: influencia de internet en el proceso de compra de teléfonos inteligentes [Doctoral dissertation, Universidad Complutense de Madrid]. https://eprints.ucm.es/id/eprint/40856/
Geyser, W. (2022, March 2). The state of influencer marketing 2022: benchmark report. Influencer Marketing Hub. https://bit.ly/3dOUW1y
Hudders L., De Jans S., & De Veirman, M. (2021). The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers. International Journal of Advertising, 40(3), 327-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2020.1836925 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2020.1836925
IAB Spain (2022). Libro blanco marketing de influencia. IAB Spain. https://bit.ly/3fkh447
Kaminer, M. (2022). The best PR firms in America 2022. Observer. https://bit.ly/3RaxNUV
Marín Dueñas, P. P., Serrano Domínguez, C., & Galiano Coronil, A. (2020). El influencer marketing y el proceso de compra en los estudiantes universitarios. In S. Liberal Ormaechea & L. Mañas Viniegra (Eds.), Las redes sociales como herramienta de comunicación persuasiva (pp. 91-106). McGraw-Hill.
Moreno, D. (2020, December 4). Ranking de las mejores agencias de RRPP en España. El Publicista https://bit.ly/3E4A00W
Murcia Amórtegui, P. (2022). Estudio de la inversión publicitaria en España 2022. Infoadex. https://bit.ly/3fkhoQn
Navarro, C., Moreno, A., Molleda, J., Khalil, N., & Verhoeven, P. (2020). The challenge of new gatekeepers for public relations. A comparative analysis of the role of social media influencers for European and Latin American professionals. Public Relations Review. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2020.101881
O’Dwyer PR (2022). Top PR firms – 2022 Firms Rankings. O’Dwyer PR. https://bit.ly/3xXDZZv
PRSA (2022). Find agencies, professionals & resources. PRSA. https://bit.ly/3xZ44az
PRvoke Media (2021). Global PR agency ranking. PRvoke Media. https://bit.ly/3Ce9eSP
Statista (2022). Influencer marketing spending in the United States. Statista. https://bit.ly/3ra5wmJ
Swant, M. (2020, October 27). America’s Best PR Agencies. Forbes. https://bit.ly/3M0oOop
Top Agencias (s.f.). Las 98 mejores agencias de relaciones públicas en España. Top Agencias. https://bit.ly/3SDNGo2
Top Comunicación (2022, February 28). Mapa de las multinacionales de RR.PP. en España. Top Comunicación. https://bit.ly/3raYJZT
Tworzydło, D., Zyczynski, N., & Wadja, M. (2019). Influencers as support for public relations campaigns. Marketing of Scientific and Research Organizations, 31(1), 131-150. https://doi.org/10.2478/minib-2019-0016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/minib-2019-0016
Vilajoana-Alejandre, S., Rom-Rodríguez, J., & Miotto, G. (2019). Retos de la autorregulación publicitaria ante los riesgos jurídicos y éticos del marketing de influencers. Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación. 10(2), 115-129. https://doi.org/10.14198/medcom2019.10.2.15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.14198/MEDCOM2019.10.2.15
Van Driel, L., & Dumitrica, D. (2021). Selling brands while staying “authentic”: the professionalization of Instagram influencers. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 27(1), 66–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520902136 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520902136
Villena, E. (2018). El influencer de moda como sujeto de relaciones públicas: recursos y herramientas. Redmarka: Revista Académica de Marketing Aplicado, 1(22), 115-128. https://doi.org/10.17979/redma.2018.01.022.4938 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17979/redma.2018.01.022.4938
We Are Social & Hootsuite (2022). Digital 2022 Global Overview Report. We Are Social. https://bit.ly/3RgJQjv
Wolf, K., & Archer, C. (2018). Public relations at the crossroads: the need to reclaim core public relations competencies in digital communication. Journal of Communication Management, 22(4), 494–509. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcom-08-2018-0080 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-08-2018-0080
Yuan, Y. & Constine, J. (2022). How many creators are there? SignalFire. https://signalfire.com/blog/creator-economy/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Global Media Journal México, publicación semestral, editada por el Departamento de Psicología y Comunicación de Texas A&M International University, Laredo, Texas, Estados Unidos; y la Facultad de Ciencias de la Comunicación de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México. Editores responsables: Dr. José Carlos Lozano y Dr. Francisco Javier Martínez Garza. Datos de contactos: jose.lozano@tamiu.edu, tel. (956) 326-3117 y francisco.martinezgz@uanl.edu.mx, teléfono (81) 83294000, Ext. 7710 y 7711. Reserva de derechos al uso exclusivo número 04 – 2017- 080814012900- 203, expedido por la Dirección de Reservas de Derechos del Instituto Nacional del Derecho de Autor. ISSN: 2007-2031. El editor no necesariamente comparte el contenido de los artículos, ya que son responsabilidad exclusiva de los autores. Se prohíbe la reproducción total o parcial del contenido, ilustraciones y textos publicados en este número sin la previa autorización que por escrito emita el editor.
