The Impact of Deviant Social Media Influencers and Consumer Characteristics on Purchasing Counterfeit Goods

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2153643
AutoresDavid Shepherd (0000-0001-8364-3041, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK, autor de correspondencia), Kate Whitman (0009-0004-1532-8284, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK), Mark Button (0000-0002-4169-2619, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK), Jeremy M Wilson (Michigan State University, Michigan, USA)
Año2023
Volumen44
Número12
Páginas1746-1760
Fecha de publicación2023-12-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaDeviant Behavior (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0163-9625 • E-ISSN: 1521-0456
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01639625.2023.2233041
OpenAlexW4383550930
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas45

Product counterfeiting is a large and global economic crime that causes significant economic, social and personal harms. Facilitated by the efficiency and convenience of e-commerce, finding and buying counterfeits have never been easier. Going beyond product listings on websites, counterfeiters are now using sophisticated marketing techniques to promote their illicit wares. This includes employing deviant social media influencers who violate social norms and the law to peddle counterfeit goods via channels such as YouTube and Instagram. However, very little is known about their market or their impact. Based on two UK surveys, the empirical research described in this article estimates the prevalence of consumers who purchase counterfeits because of SMI endorsements. We believe this is the first estimate of its kind anywhere. Further, the research finds that influencer marketing exploits characteristics of consumers that make them susceptible to the charms of the deviant SMIs: high susceptibility to the influence of trusted digital others, low risk awareness, high risk appetite, and prone to rationalizations that morally justify the purchases. The higher prevalence of these characteristics in young adults and males helps to explain why these demographic groups are the most likely to purchase endorsed counterfeits

Advertising · Business · Computer security · Counterfeit · Empirical research · Exploit · Influencer marketing · Political science · Product (mathematics · Purchasing · Social media · Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies · Digital Marketing and Social Media · Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection · Law · Marketing