The impact of influencer marketing and celebrity endorsements on consumer behaviour within the South African context

The rise of the internet has led to the advent of social media platforms as a new marketing strategy by organisations. Social media has transformed the way in which marketing was traditionally done as it brought with it a new trend of "Social Media Influencers" (SMIs). These SMIs are people who are capable of using their online proficiency to generate a dedicated large and loyal following of people who are enthralled by their posts, trends and videos pertaining to certain topics. This new marketing phenomenon has altered the mind-sets of traditional marketers. Celebrity endorsements by SMIs enable these influencers to create value for themselves as well as for the brands they endorse. The aim of this paper was to investigate the impact of influencers on consumer behaviour within the South African (SA) market. This study unpacked whether SMIs and celebrity endorsements create value in SA's retail environment. The study was conducted using secondary data gathered from various journals, online articles and books. The findings show how social media provides influencers with a platform to influence and facilitate consumer decision-making. Conclusions drawn from the study indicate that ( 1) social media is an influential, cost-effective platform that organisations and brands ought to use as an advertising strategy in this technological era and (2) influencers play a significant role in the consumer buying process and the product life-cycle. A conceptual framework for retailers has been proposed to understand the role of SMIs in the current marketing arena. The study concludes by suggesting that organisations that do not take into account social media and its positive traits as an advertising space will be pushed out of the market.