AMTP Proceedings 2026

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Abstract

Research has shown how influencer marketing in social media has been an effective way for companies to reach their target customers and advertise their products and services (Ahmad, 2018).   Brands rely on these influencers to promote products and encourage engagement and purchases.  De-Influencing, a seemingly antithetical concept, is a recent trend on social media where influencers are discouraging their followers from what they claim are unnecessary consumption.

By analyzing a data set of 216 observations from TikTok, we find evidence that influencers who use de-influencing appeals have higher post engagement. Specifics posts that use de-influencing strategies receive a higher number of comments compared to traditional influencer content.

This work contributes to the influencer marketing literature by identifying a novel persuasive approach that increases audience engagement – the use of de-influencing techniques. It also shows how de-influencing is changing the shopping habits of a younger generation consumers and the behavior of influencers.

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