Influencers offer brands the ability to deliver the ‘right’ communication and marketing
messages to a specific target audience. This is one of the first textbooks to explore the
phenomenon of influencer marketing and how it fits within marketing communications
to build brands and their communities.
Across four core sections, this book brings together the key theory and practical
implications of this new marketing tool: how it works as part of communications cam‐
paigns, including how to select the right influencers and measure their success, the
dark side of influencer marketing, and the legal and ethical framework. Readers will
gain a comprehensive understanding of influencer marketing from the perspectives of
influencers, agencies, brands, and platforms. This 2nd edition has been fully updated to
refresh and add content on agency recruitment, brand–influencer partnerships, analysis
of cultural differences and cross‐border promotions in China, Egypt, India, Nigeria,
Pakistan, and South Africa, influencer crisis and care, emerging regulations, sharent‐
ing, de‐influencing, virtual influencers, the impact of AI, and metrics and measure‐
ments for efficacy. It also delves into regulatory impacts on influencers, agencies, and
brands. Interviews with influencers and agencies help the reader delve into lived experi‐
ences. Underpinned by academic theory, the book incorporates case studies, questions,
platform considerations, and ethical implications to stimulate discussion among stu‐
dents and show how the theory is applied in practice.
Influencer Marketing should be core and recommended reading for advanced under‐
graduate, postgraduate and executive education students of Digital Marketing, Adver‐
tising, Marketing Communications, Brand Management, and Public Relations. With
its accessible style and practical content, it is also highly valuable for Marketing Com‐
munications, Branding, and PR specialists.
Online resources include PowerPoint slides, podcasts, an instructor manual, and test
banks.