To be real or not to be real? The effect of genuine (vs. nongenuine) depictions of social media influencers on followers' well‐being and brand purchase intention
通过实验和准实验，研究了社交媒体影响者展示真实（vs.非真实）形象对追随者购买意愿和幸福感的影响，发现真实展示能减少上行比较，提升自尊、幸福感和购买意愿，且对品牌也有益。
Abstract Criticized for the idealized lives portrayed on social media (e.g., Instagram), a growing number of social media influencers are now embracing genuineness, showcasing unfiltered and less sophisticated pictures of themselves. The current research investigated this trend by examining how genuine (vs. nongenuine) visual self‐presentations by influencers affect their followers' purchase intention and, importantly, their well‐being. With an experiment ( n = 171) and a quasi‐experiment with an ex‐post facto design ( n = 154), we demonstrate that influencers' genuineness (vs. nongenuineness) not only benefits promoted brands but also followers' well‐being. Specifically, genuine (vs. nongenuine) influencers induce fewer upward comparisons, which, in turn, increases followers' self‐esteem, well‐being, and purchase intention. Investigating the role of gender, we show that, while males also tend to purchase more products when recommended by genuine (vs. nongenuine) male influencers, the mediating process through social comparison does not occur. Combining psychosocial and marketing perspectives, this study expands various streams of research on social media influencers and offers pragmatic contributions that reconcile managers, social media influencers, and public policymakers. More genuineness in pictures, using fewer filters and beauty artifices, provides benefits for all. Finally, we suggest future research directions as ways to further reconcile these two perspectives.