“Changing the Market with Stories: Social Media Influencers as Innovation Catalysts”
by Julien Cayla
Nanyang Business School
https://zoom.us/j/8059866836?pwd=bTNhc3JzV3NGRUJmQ0NUNks1VjdUdz09&omn=96323553521
Meeting ID: 805 986 6836
Abstract:
Social media influencers have largely been portrayed as glamorous personalities who use their followers to benefit brands. But what if influencers defied this stereotype and did more than just spread brand messages to passionate fans? What if influencers played a key role in making an entire market more innovative? In this study, we examine a rapidly evolving context—the dynamic agricultural market in rural India—to explore the role influencers play in innovation. We show that influencers’ social media stories operate as powerful narrative devices stimulating market innovation by: 1) making market knowledge more understandable; 2) inspiring new ways of acting and thinking about the market; 3) spreading new dominant values; and 4) changing power dynamics within the market. Our research thus complements the existing literature on influencers by assigning them a new role: Influencers as innovation catalysts. Given the urgent need for innovation in the Global South, these findings should be particularly valuable for businesses and policy makers. Social media influencers are far more than mere brand ambassadors. They change the market with their stories.
Bio:
Julien Cayla is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Nanyang Business School (Singapore). His work has been published in outlets such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Organization Studies, Journal of Retailing and MIT Sloan Management Review. Most recently, he has been working on the pains and pleasures of service interactions. Passionate about India, he is the founder of the consumer culture lab at IIM Udaïpur: https://cclab.iimu.ac.in/. He will start his second term as Associate Editor of JCR in January 2025.
