Marketing

Influencers may not be so influencing this holiday season

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December 21, 2023

Blanket influencer endorsements for products could potentially harm sales in the last week of holiday shopping, according to a Storyblok survey that polled 1,000 consumers.

The analysis, which focused on attitudes consumers have toward items advertised or promoted by a celebrity influencer found only 19% of shoppers are "more likely" to make a purchase due to an endorsement and 24% said they would be actively put off.

The survey also revealed that 57% stated an influencer endorsement does not encourage product buying, according to a press release on the findings. Storyblok is a content management system provider.

Unsurprisingly, the influence of influencers varies by age, with 30% of those aged below 35 stating they would be more likely to make a purchase. However, 19% of that group also said they would be actively put off a purchase due to an influencer. This compares to 22% for people aged 35-44, climbing to 30% for those aged over 45. More than half, 57%, of all respondents said influencer endorsements made no difference at all.

"An influencer endorsement is a double-edged sword. Although it might attract a younger audience to a brand, it can actively discourage other, higher value shoppers. This goes beyond mere ambivalence — it makes a significant number of consumers less likely to buy a product. It underlines why brands need to really understand the preferences of their audience and tailor their marketing accordingly," Thomas Peham, VP of marketing at Storyblok, said in the release.

Storyblok's research also found a growing divide between the influence of different marketing channels. On average, websites remain the most valuable marketing tool – with 43% saying it is the most important channel, followed by mobile (34%) and social media (16%).