Does the Physical Attractiveness of Instagram Influencers Affect

Moroccan Consumer Behavior?

A Dyadic Analysis: Influencer vs. Consumer

IMANE MARGOM*, MOHAMMED BEN AMAR

Research and Studies Laboratory in Management, Entrepreneurship and Finance,

National School of Business and Management,

Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University,

Fez,

MOROCCO

*Corresponding Author

Abstract: - The phenomenon of social network influencers has become vital in the advertising world, so the

main objective of this study is to determine the effect of the physical attractiveness of influencers on the

attitude and purchase intention of Moroccan consumers on Instagram, based on a comparative analysis between

the opinions of influencers and consumers on the subject. We opted for a qualitative study, in the form of semi-

directive interviews, with two groups of ten people each, which consist of 10 highly followed influencers in

Morocco and 10 Moroccan consumers, with particular specificities, to obtain relevant results. The results of the

present research show that the physical attractiveness of the influencer has a positive effect on the attitude and

purchase intention of Moroccan consumers, nevertheless, its effect remains limited depending on the nature of

the endorsed product. In addition, we were able to identify negative effects reported by both groups of

interviewees, illustrating that the influencer's physical attractiveness can be detrimental to the mental and

psychological health of Moroccan consumers, provoking a harmful and destructive comparison to their self-

esteem. Today's consumer needs a human reference, real feedback, and proximity to the product, hence the

integration of all the elements specific to humans, while also considering their imperfections and defects.

Key-Words: - Attitude, Consumers, Comparison, Influencers, Instagram, Psychological health, Physical

Attractiveness, Purchase Intention, Self-esteem

Received: May 22, 2023. Revised: September 16, 2023. Accepted: September 21, 2023. Published: October 6, 2023.

1 Introduction

Influencer marketing is about sharing experiences,

feelings, and subjectivity. It is the humanization of

marketing, making it more real and similar to

consumers' daily lives. Today, the world of

marketing is going through a profound

transformation around the phenomenon of

influencers, which resurrects social relationships

via electronic word-of-mouth. Advertisers are

aware that traditional advertising is attracting fewer

and fewer consumers, and advice that comes from

interpersonal sources is considered more credible

than advertising communication, [1]. Companies

are going through the influence to infiltrate the

recommendation circle of today's consumers.

Aligning with this new consumer trend has become

vital, the influencer marketing market would be

worth 16.4 billion dollars in 2022, 20 times more

than in 2015, and 80% of brand owners believe that

influencer marketing is effective and 89% of them

stipulate that the return on investment is

comparable and even superior to other channels,

[2]. Influencer marketing has become a powerful

marketing tool to reach a large number of potential

customers in record time at a lower cost, [3].

The interest of this study is to closely examine

the opinions of Moroccan influencers and

consumers on this phenomenon of influencer

marketing, especially on the importance of the

physical attraction of influencers in the process of

changing the attitude and purchase intention of

consumers in Morocco.

The concept of physical attractiveness in the

Moroccan media remains a subject that divides

social opinion. Moroccan culture considers that

media exposure highlighting the physical attributes

of a woman, in particular, is certainly not harmless.

Therefore, the positive advances in Moroccan laws,

generated by the High Authority of Audiovisual

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2188

Volume 20, 2023

Communication (HACA) of Morocco in 2016,

justified in Law 77. 03 relating to audiovisuals,

shows that Morocco is committed to implementing

the principles of « non-discrimination » and «

gender equality » in the media field, [4]. In

Morocco, it is found that 51% of influencers are

women, 33% are men and the remaining 16% are

community accounts, [5].

Moreover, to our knowledge, no study has been

conducted in this regard in Morocco, and there is

little research on the mechanisms of influence of

opinion leaders on Instagram and their effect on

purchase intentions, [6], in this case on the

importance of the physical attractiveness of

influencers on the attitude and purchase intention of

Moroccan consumers.

Among others, Eastern and Western cultures

tend to state that physical attractiveness reflects

qualities such as sociability and popularity, [7].

Many people state that beauty or physical

attractiveness is personal and that we do not

evaluate beauty in the same way, yet in most cases,

there is a convergence of opinion about who is

most physically attractive, whether it is across

cultures, adults, or even children, [8], [9].

Through our research work, we study the effect

of the physical attractiveness of influencers, on

Instagram, on the attitude and purchase intention of

Moroccan consumers, based on a qualitative

approach. To do so, we first present the theoretical

foundations, develop the research methodology,

and then analyze and put the results into

perspective.

2 Literature Review

2.1 Influencer Marketing

With the rise of social networks and the influencer

referral movement, many researchers have given

special attention to influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is a practice that identifies

influential people in a target audience to encourage

them to use their influence to spread word of

mouth, [10]. Indeed, it is an effective and

undeniable practice, [11], that aims to promote

products and increase brand awareness through

influencers, [12]. It is thus a communication

strategy based on popular and influential users in

online social media, [13] (Figure 1).

Fig. 1: Influence marketing approach

Source: Personal elaboration

2.1.1 Social Influence in Influencer Marketing

Marketing has quickly integrated the phenomenon

of social influence into its strategy. In psychology,

social influence is « The change in an individual's

thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors that

result from interaction with another individual or

with a group », [14].

The study, [15], outlines the psychological

effect of influence on human beings and states

« You have been influenced when you think

something you would not have thought, or do

something, you would not have done ».

The concept of social influence comes from the

theory of, [16], which states that social influence

causes changes in the beliefs, actions, attitudes, and

behaviors of individuals. These transformations

occur through three different forms of influence:

compliance, identification, and internalization

(Figure 2).

Compliance is certainly a typology of influence

that cannot be used within the framework of

influence marketing; it engenders a modification of

an individual's behavior out of fear of being

punished or rejected, without changing his beliefs,

or his basic values on the subject.

Identification is the fact of changing behavior

by identifying with an individual who is highly

valued or perceived as a reference model.

Identification is the act of changing behavior

by identifying with an individual who is highly

valued or perceived as a role model. This form of

influence is one of the levers of influence

marketing, especially on social networks, Internet

Identify the

appropriate

influencers

Spreading word

of mouth among

the target

audience

Increase

awareness of the

associated brand

and promote its

products

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2189

Volume 20, 2023

users identify with influencers and change their

habits and beliefs according to them, because they

consider them as references, in this case in terms of

fashion, clothing or interior design, etc.

Internalization is the fact that an individual

decides to change his behavior because it is

adequate to his basic principles, which pushes him

to make an internal change. In the context of

influencer marketing, this form can be essential to

certain areas. On Instagram, we find influencers

who advocate healthy eating, sports, and fitness,

share healthy recipes, or a lifestyle related to well-

being, etc. As a result, Internet users who express a

willingness to start sports, eat healthily, to adopt a

particular lifestyle, are inclined to change their

behavior and adhere to the recommendations of

these influencers, to have the same result expected

by the latter.

Fig. 2: Forms of social influence

Source: Personal elaboration inspired by Kelman

(1958)

2.2 Understanding the Influencer

Phenomenon

Influencer marketing uses the recommendation

potential of influencers, more specifically than

social network influencers, to promote products and

services to target consumers, [17]. Indeed,

influencers dominate social relationships

nowadays, their power of recommendation defies

any other means of communication, and they have

been able to establish a relational closeness based

on trust with their community.

The phenomenon of influencers is an update of

the « Two Step Flow communication » theory,

resulting from a study by, [18], explaining that the

media have a very limited impact on the consumer,

so this theory could be applied to online opinion

leaders or influencers.

Indeed, in the digital age and social networks,

influencers are the intermediaries between brands

and consumers, Katz and Lazarfield's

communication model (Figure 3) applies perfectly

to this concept of influence, [5].

Fig. 3: The two-step flow communication model of,

[18]

Source : Lazarsfeld et al. (1955)

We also find the concept of « opinion leader »

in the diffusion of innovations theory, which

highlights the ability of these individuals to

influence the attitudes and behaviors of others

through social influence, [19], based on several

personal characteristics, [20].

Influencers are considered special individuals

who can create valuable content, have high

reputations in specific areas, [21], [22], and are

followed by a large number of users in online social

networks, [23].

The authors, [19], state that influencers are

perceived as credible and trustworthy people, with

a strong capacity to interact with their communities

and trigger instantaneous electronic word of mouth.

They play a key role in the marketing strategy of

companies, creating varied content and generating

engagement with brands.

Thus, we retain the definition of the authors,

[24], who gives a rather global definition of

influencers: « Social network influencers are third-

party actors who have established a significant

Compliance : Modification of an individual's

behavior in order to avoid a sanction or

obtain a reward, under pressure from others,

without changing his or her beliefs or basic

values on the subject.

Identification :

Psychological

mechanism that

consists in clinging to

an external or internal

stimulation that a

person cannot resist, in

an unconscious and

automatic way.

Internalization : A

change in an individual's

behavior or judgment if it

is in complete alignment

with his or her core values

and principles, resulting

in an internal change in

the individual.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2190

Volume 20, 2023

number of relevant relationships and who exert

influence on their community through content

production, content distribution, interaction and

their appearance on the Web ».

Indeed, influencers have several criteria that

push their community to follow them and trust their

recommendations. Among these criteria of

influence that we find primordial, is the physical

appearance of the influencer, which is the first

point of relay between the influencer and the

consumer. The main object of our research work is

inspired by several theories that explain the

theoretical functioning of physical attractiveness in

its entirety.

2.3 Physical Attractiveness

2.3.1 Physical Attractiveness and Moroccan

Culture

In Morocco, the definition of physical beauty is

relative to each one, in the sense that Moroccans

are torn between Islamism and ultra-connected

modernity, a rather unlikely cocktail especially

concerning the exposure of the body of individuals

in public, particularly that of the woman, who must

wear the Hijab according to the Islamic religion.

Reconciling the Islamic religion and the desire

to assume one's own body in the eyes of all,

remains a subject of discord in Moroccan society.

However, today's Moroccan generation is more

inclined to respect each other's choices regarding

the way of dressing or for example to expose

themselves on social networks. So defining

physical attractiveness from a cultural and social

point of view in Morocco remains divergent and

subjective.

Moreover, physical beauty has an important

place in Moroccan society and culture, the Greek

philosopher, [25], believes that « Beauty is a better

recommendation than any letter », Moroccan

culture shares the same opinion, and names

physical attractiveness by the notion of "Qoboul"

which means social acceptance.

«Moroccan culture recognizes a certain

gratitude towards physical beauty, defining it as a

social key. The power of beauty acts without our

knowledge and reaches a particularly receptive

target », [26].

2.3.2 Physical Attractiveness: Theoretical

Anchoring

Physical attractiveness has always been of interest

to social scientists, particularly in the field of

endorsement. Indeed, in persuasive communication

research, [27], were the first authors to advance and

prove the hypothesis that the influence of a

persuasive message is considerably stronger when

it is issued by an attractive person than by a less

attractive person. The author, [28], through his

model of source attractiveness, supports this

hypothesis and states that physical attractiveness is

a driving force in persuasion and thus states that the

effectiveness of a message depends on the

characteristics of the source, in this case, its

physical attractiveness.

In addition, the theory of interpersonal

attraction, [29], which is the tendency of an

individual to positively evaluate another person,

states that physical attractiveness positively impacts

interpersonal attraction. The theory of social

exchange, [30], suggests that physical

attractiveness contributes to the overall value of the

exchange and offsets some of the costs associated

with the exchange. The implicit personality theory

of, [31], conceptualizes the effect of the stereotype

of physical attractiveness, in the sense that if a

person is judged physically attractive, a set of

positive personal attributes is automatically

attributed to him or her, and these attributes have a

positive impact on the perceptions of consumers

towards the influencer.

In the same sense, the theory of social

adaptation suggests that comparison with an

attractive person can be useful for self-evaluation

and self-improvement, [32].

Indeed, the concept of physical attractiveness

of the source has been the subject of several

researches, [33], stating that in most research,

attractiveness is defined as « the degree to which a

person's facial features are pleasing to the eye ».

The author, [34], considers an individual's physical

attractiveness to be a social advantage and states

that attractive people are people who have strong

personalities while people who are not attractive

are weak in personality and more likely to be

influenced by others or environmental conditions.

In sum, several social science researches,

stipulate that physically attractive people are more

sociable, more popular, and less lonely compared to

less physically attractive people, [35], have more

choices of sexual partners, [36], are also more

likely to get jobs, [37], and may even live longer,

[38]. So many appreciations explain the positive

behavior towards physically attractive people,

possibly related to the fact that external

attractiveness reflects positive internal qualities,

furthermore, attractive individuals gain popularity

quickly, [39].

According to authors, [40], individuals who are

associated with an attractive person are evaluated

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2191

Volume 20, 2023

more favorably by others, thus this positive

evaluation by others may cause followers to want

to create an association with attractive influencers

and therefore adhere more readily to their message.

Indeed, Several researchers have focused on this

criterion, and stipulate that the physical

attractiveness of the source positively influences

consumers' attitudes and purchase intention, [33],

[41], [42], [43], [44], [45], [46], [47], [48], [49],

[50], [51], [52], [53], [54], [55].

On the other hand, the effectiveness of the

physical attractiveness of the source remains vague

in the sense that it is effective in all product

categories. Indeed, among the authors who affirm

its effectiveness, we find, [51], who carried out a

study that shows that the attitude towards the

product and the purchase intentions of the

participants were significantly elevated when they

were exposed to attractive celebrities, but the

product tested in this experiment is a product

related to physical attractiveness, however, the

authors did not address the case of a product not

related to physical attractiveness. While a study

conducted by, [53], shed light on this grey area by

addressing the concept of physical attractiveness of

an attractive source and a non-attractive source,

associating them with two products, one related to

physical beauty and the other not. Therefore, the

results present the irrelevance of physical

attractiveness in the process of endorsing a product

not related to physical beauty and show the

importance of source attractiveness in endorsing a

product related to physical beauty.

Similarly, several authors have shown a

relationship between source attractiveness

effectiveness and product type, for example in the

context of colognes, [55], men's clothing, [56],

luxury fashion, [57], and beauty-related influencer

videos on YouTube, [58].

Despite all of the previously cited research on

the positive effect of the source's physical

attractiveness on consumer behavior, the literature

also highlights its negative effect on the consumer.

Referring to the theory of social comparison, [59],

the individual tends to compare himself frequently

to his fellow human beings to evaluate his abilities,

in relation to a particular theme, in a voluntary way,

yet this theory was soon rectified, to integrate also

automatic and unconscious comparisons, without

having a voluntary control of the situation on the

part of the individual, [60]. In the context of

advertising, the authors, [61], [62], state that young

girls automatically compare themselves to

advertising models. According to, [63], individuals

use advertising models as a reference for

comparison to determine their own perceived

attractiveness. This comparison to attractive models

often causes a strong decrease in satisfaction with

one's own body, [64], [65], a reduction in self-

esteem, [32]. It also has negative effects on self-

perception, [62], so a comparison in this sense is

devastating for the individual, [66].

The literature shows the negative impact of

physical attractiveness on the mental and physical

health of individuals. Being dissatisfied with one's

physical appearance has a negative effect on self-

esteem, leading to eating disorders such as bulimia

and anorexia and psychological disorders such as

depression and isolation, [67], [68].

Therefore, in light of the theory, physical

attractiveness has a positive effect on the

consumer's attitude and purchase intention towards

the product but has a negative effect on the

consumer's psychology, self-esteem, self-

perception, and body acceptance. Accordance with

a study conducted by, [69], which stipulates that

indeed physical attractiveness in an advertising

context has a positive effect on the evaluation of

the product and the purchase intention of

consumers but is negative on their self-esteem and

self-perception.

Given the theoretical findings, we attempt,

through our study, to explore this phenomenon of

influence in the Moroccan context, to understand

the effect of the physical attractiveness of the

influencer on the behavior of the Moroccan

consumer and thus confirm, deny, or complete the

theoretical facts cited earlier.

3 Research Methodology

3.1 Epistemological and Methodological

Choices

We aim, through this article, to understand the

phenomenon of influence marketing, by exploring

the influence of the physical attractiveness of

influencers on consumer behavior in the Moroccan

context. Our priority is therefore to focus on the

experiences of the dominant actors in influence

marketing, namely the influencers and the

consumers, to understand their subjective

perceptions of this criterion of influence while

trying to interpret them objectively. Consequently,

we find ourselves in the interpretivist paradigm,

which is perfectly in line with our research vision,

since interpretivists try to understand human

behavior, [70], and seek to interpret meanings

related to this behavior, the motivations and

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2192

Volume 20, 2023

subjective experiences of its actors in a specific

context, [71].

Then, we turned to the qualitative approach

since we are not trying to quantify or measure its

effect but to explore, through the phenomenon of

marketing influence, the importance of the physical

appearance of the influencers in the perception and

the behavior of the consumer, by going through its

multiple facets, as well as its behavioral and

psychological consequences on the individual, in a

context and a cultural environment lived by the

individuals concerned by the study, i.e. the

influencers and the consumers in the Moroccan

context. In view of the literature review developed

earlier, the complexity of the phenomenon leads us

to explore it further.

Indeed, we have used the method of

methodological triangulation, which favors the

validation of results, [72]. Two types of

triangulation have been developed for our study:

the triangulation of sources and the theoretical

triangulation.

In a logic of triangulation, the fact of obtaining

different angles of approach to a single

phenomenon leads to a more global vision and a

more refined analysis of the object of study, [73],

and allows us to reach the complexity of human

behavior, [74]. Therefore, in our study, we opted

for a double unit of analysis, the Moroccan

influencers, and consumers, in accordance with the

triangulation of sources. Then, we confronted each

other, in the light of the corresponding theories,

with the aim of feeding the discussion of the results

of our research, referring to the method of

theoretical triangulation which will appear in the

part "discussion of the results in the light of the

theory" of this article.

3.2 Sampling Techniques: Multiple Cases

Sampling is as important a step as data collection,

analysis, and interpretation. The originality of

qualitative research lies in « the approach of human

or social phenomena through sensitive experience,

in particular that of the social actors involved »,

[75]. In this respect, as we mentioned earlier, we

opted, in accordance with our research objective,

for a double unit of analysis, including the two

social actors involved: the influencers and the

Moroccan consumers, thus using the technique of

multiple case sampling. The sample of influencers

covers different themes and specialties, and the

sample of consumers covers different profiles as

well. Having a representative sample is by no

means the objective of qualitative research, but

rather to have a sample that reflects the

characteristics and richness of the context studied.

Therefore, the multiple-case sampling technique is

the most appropriate.

Our two samples consist of 10 people each, the

number of 10 in each sample was decided by

referring to the words of authors, [76], who

identify, for phenomenological research « up to a

maximum of 10 personal interviews ».

Or the author, [77], quotes: « Although there is

no ideal number of cases, a number of 4 to 10 cases

gives good results. With fewer than four cases, it is

often difficult to generate a complex theory and its

empirical basis is likely to be unconvincing ». On

the other hand, this number was likely to be

modified over time, based on a progressive analysis

of the data, with the aim of testing the state of

saturation of the information, in accordance with

the theoretical saturation studies developed by the

authors, [78]. Therefore, the addition of a new

source in both samples was no longer necessary,

since we reached a kind of saturation in the

interviews, that is, no original information was

brought by the participants in comparison with that

already collected.

3.3 Selection Method: Selection Criteria for

the Two Samples

Carefully choosing a qualitative sample is essential,

« To extract a sample is to choose, according to

criteria defined in advance », [79], whose people to

be interviewed are « privileged witnesses, people

who, by their position, action, responsibilities, have

a good knowledge of the problem », [80].

3.3.1 Influencer sample: Netnographic Analysis

We chose the social network Instagram as our field

of investigation, and since it has become the most

used social network by influencers worldwide and

best addresses the phenomenon of influence, we

therefore based ourselves on it, in the choice of the

influencer sample for our study.

For the construction of the sample of

influencers, we conducted a netnographic analysis

of 465 Moroccan influencers' accounts on

Instagram, based on several aspects :

- Their collaborations with recognized brands,

- The quality of the content published on their

Instagram account,

- The frequency and relevance of the publications,

- The feedback and interactions of consumers

towards their respective content, based on

comments, the number of views, and likes to

ensure that there is a real interaction between

these influencers and their communities.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2193

Volume 20, 2023

This is how we defined the sample of influencers

composed of ten public personalities, very well

known in Morocco, with powerful resonance,

followed by hundreds of thousands of subscribers

and with different themes (Table 1).

3.3.2 Moroccan Consumer Sample: The

Directive Interview

It is necessary that « the sample presents

individuals with characteristics that are highly

related to the phenomena being studied », [81].

Therefore, for the development of the consumer

sample, we conducted direct interviews, including

closed questions regarding a set of criteria. These

criteria were developed beforehand to draw up a

profile of the consumers we were looking for, to

optimize our understanding of the influence

marketing phenomenon.

The goal of qualitative research « is not to have

an average representation of the population but

rather to obtain a sample of people who have a

particular experience, characteristic or background

to analyze. The goal is to obtain a sample that

allows for the understanding of social processes.

The sample is intended to include as many

individuals as possible who carry criteria that can

affect the variability of behaviors », [82].

Indeed, to obtain relevant results, we opted for

Moroccan consumers with specific criteria (Table

2). The choice of the criteria of relevance of the

interviewees was based on :

- The use of Instagram, as the most used social

network,

- Its daily frequency of use,

- The number of influencers followed (more than

10),

- The number of purchases of products or brands

following a recommendation from influencers,

- And finally that they are aged from 20 years old

to 65 years old to achieve a certain socially

significant diversification between generations.

3.4 Data Collection Tools

We opted for the collection of data through semi-

structured interviews, which allows us to « explore

in depth the different facets of the interviewee's

experience », [83], and to understand the

perceptions and the universe of the other person,

[84].

3.5 Data Analysis Tools

It should be noted that all the interviews were

recorded, with the permission of the interviewees,

and then transcribed following the sociological

transcription method. We then explored the results

of our study using two methods of analysis: lexical

analysis and content analysis.

We conducted lexical analysis via Iramuteq

software, R's Interface for Multidimensional Text

and Questionnaire Analysis that allows its users « a

set of processing and tools for aiding the

description and analysis of text corpora and

individual/character matrices », [85]. Our goal is to

maintain the neutrality of interview treatments and

their results which are often countered in

qualitative research. The lexical analysis thus

makes it possible to statistically process the

interviewees' words while preserving the richness

of the answers. We opted for the "word cloud"

technique, as it allows us to highlight the most

recurrent terms according to each category of the

interview guide, represented according to different

sizes (font size), highlighting their visibility on the

word clouds, their frequency of appearance and

their importance in the content of the interviewed

consumers' and influencers' speeches, in a dyadic

perspective.

The content analysis focuses on the meaning of

the text and the content of the discourse. This

analysis was done manually to retain all the

information requested by the interviewees. These

two analyses are complementary, which will allow

us to come out with complete and constructive

results.

Table 1. Summary of our methodological approach

Epistemological

positioning

Interpretativism

Nature of Reality

Multiple and relative

The scientific status of

knowledge

La compréhension

Approach adopted

Qualitative

Fields of investigation

The social network

Instagram

Analysis unit

Double unit of analysis

according to the principle

of triangulation of sources:

Influencer and Moroccan

consumer

Sampling Technique

Multiple cases

Selection method of the

two samples

Influencer sample:

netnographic analysis

Consumer sample: direct

interview

Data collection tool

Semi-structured interview

Data Analysis Tools

Lexical analysis using

Iramuteq software version

0.7 alpha 2

Manual content analysis

Source: Personal elaboration

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2194

Volume 20, 2023

4 Results

This part aims at exposing the various results

obtained during our qualitative study. First, we will

present the results of the lexical analysis using the

Iramuteq software. This analysis aims at giving a

first sketch to the readers on the perceptions of two

actors of the study on the effect of the physical

attractiveness of the influencer on consumer

behavior.

In the second step, we will present the content

analysis, which is intended to be rich in meaning

and interpretation of the interviewees' discourses.

We will then proceed to a more researched and

advanced analysis of all the interviewees' answers,

in order to extract significant and constructive

conclusions.

4.1 Lexical Analysis

For the sake of understanding and exploration, we

decided to present this lexical analysis in the form

of a confrontation between the consumer and

influencer corpora. We chose to process the data

collected in the form of word clouds (Table 2) to

understand the perception of the actors in each

sample and to compare them to each other to

extract common and distinct concepts.

Table 2. Consumer word Cloud VS Influencer word

cloud

Source: Iramuteq output

The consumers' word cloud highlights two

families of contradictory concepts: « blemish »,

« pimple » and « beautiful », « model », which

suggests a divergence in the Moroccan consumers'

words. Moreover, this illustration shows that the

importance of physical attractiveness (« physical

attractiveness ») of the influencer depends

(« depend ») on the « product » to be promoted, for

example, products related to « skin » and

« cosmetics ».

The formulation of the couplets

« blemish » /« pimple » and « beautiful »

/« model », on the part of the consumers, suggests a

certain divergence in their discourses concerning

the effect of the physical attractiveness of the

influencer on their behavior.

The influencer word cloud also illustrates several

conflicting concepts such as:

- « retouch » ≠ « natural » and « obese »

- « ugly » ≠ « beautiful »

- « fake » and « wrong »≠ « true » and « reality »

We also find the words: « skin » and « form »

that illustrate the influencer's physical appearance.

However, the concept of likeability (« sympathy »)

does not correspond to the influencer's physique

but rather to his or her person.

We also find the word « fit » which can suggest

that the physical attractiveness of the influencer

must match the endorsed product.

The word « identify yourself » appeared on the

word cloud and may suggest the consumer's need to

be able to identify with the influencer; this will be

detailed in the content analysis.

In sum, the word cloud of the influencers

implies the same reasoning as that of the consumers

in the sense that we also find several discrepancies

in the apparent concepts, which implies that there

were discrepancies in the effect of the physical

attractiveness of the influencer on the consumer's

behavior in the discourses of the interviewed

influencers.

4.2 Content Analysis

We analyzed the content of the testimonies of the

two samples with reference to the dyadic approach.

Indeed, we confronted the returns and opinions of

the two groups of interviewees, one to the other, to

extract clear and constructive conclusions. We

noticed, during our interviews, that the criterion of

the physical attractiveness of the influencer aroused

the interest of our two interviewed groups.

Nevertheless, they are mixed, some of them

consider that the physical attractiveness of the

influencer does not have a real influence on the

attitude and the purchase intention of the

consumers, and others insist on the importance of

this criterion.

To facilitate the reading of the content analysis

of the two samples, we will use a naming code for

the influencers and consumers interviewed: for

example, I-1 designates the influencer number 1

illustrated in appendix n°1 and so on, the same for

Consumers

Influencers

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2195

Volume 20, 2023

the consumers; C-1 designates the consumer

number 1 illustrated in appendix n°2.

We found that the interviewed influencers

approached this issue from different angles. On the

one hand, influencers stipulate that there are

specialized techniques, such as Photoshop and

filters, in retouching and adjusting imperfections in

photos posted by influencers: « Many people who

use Photoshop retouch photos with filters or

other » (I-2), and make them so perfect that people

don't find themselves in them and get lost in them

« having an advantageous physique, on the

contrary, it can have a negative effect and push

people to have less confidence in them » (I-1),

However, appearing natural with physical

imperfections pushes consumers to identify

themselves in them, reassuring themselves that they

can resemble this kind of so-called public

personalities: « so there is nothing better than the

naturalness of showing ourselves as we are with

our imperfections, that's what is going to push

people to believe in us and to identify with us » (I-

2). Thus they estimate that Internet users are rather

interested in people who resemble them, « people

rather want to follow people who resemble them

more so they are less access platonic beauty and

surrealist physical and all that » (I-1), adding that

the credibility of the influencer is the criterion of

influence that should be kept in mind in spite of his

physical appearance « Honestly the physical

appearance doesn't matter as long as you are

credible as long as you are real, whether you are

handsome, not handsome, not tall, for me, it is not

a criterion » (I-6), and that there are several types

of influencers, different from one another, having

criteria that are not necessarily relative to physical

beauty « The truth I don't think that the physical it

has a report because finally the influencers there

are of all the sizes of all the styles of all the ages of

all the social or cultural levels in short therefore

finally each person finds his happiness with

another person. » (I-8).

On the other hand, influencers proclaim that the

physical attractiveness is very important and

approach it differently, they believe that women

need models and references that can inspire them

and encourage them to take care of themselves:

« Well on the physical attractiveness or the

physical aspect plays a very very important role

because the Moroccan woman today is looking to

be freer or if not she is looking to excel where she

sees herself in the influencer, for example, she

looks at her way of dressing, she tries to more like

her so if I take care of myself I put on makeup I

dress etc so that woman there or the community

that follows me will try to do the same thing to stay

in the image » (I-3), affirm that it is necessary to

have a certain concordance between the endorsed

product and the physical appearance of the

influencer « Bah yes, it is not necessary to be obese

and to present organic or healty products » (I-5),

that the influencers cannot promote a product

without having the physical appearance that will

emphasize the advantages of this product, thus, it

will encourage the consumers to project themselves

hoping to have the same advantageous physical

appearance of the influencer: « ...when an

influencer has a physique a flawless skin for

example and he sells the merits of a cream

systematically girls or women who want to have the

same nature of skin the same skin they will

systematically he will sell them the dream they will

want to buy in the hope of having the same skin or

the same physique » (I-4) And others mention the

link between physical attractiveness and the nature

of the endorsed product, in the sense that the

physical appearance can be an essential criterion in

certain types of products: « A person who is going

to talk about creams or this kind of thing, if she

doesn't already have beautiful skin, she won't be

able to do so. It will be difficult if you talk about

toothpaste that makes your teeth white because you

have yellow teeth » (I-7), so they insist on the

importance of physical attractiveness by giving

examples of products that require its adoption.

As for the consumers, they were in the same

frame of mind as the influencers, in the sense that

they were also heterogeneous in their comments.

On the one hand, consumers consider that the

physical attractiveness of the influencer is essential

and affirm that the influencer cannot succeed in

promoting a product without having the necessary

physical assets to highlight it and make it more

credible, which would incite them to adopt it, to

obtain the same result. Thus, they confirm an

interesting point, already illustrated in the literature

review, including attractive influencers in

advertising is an effective way to reach consumers,

Thus allowing them a certain projection in relation

to the results obtained, as long as an identification

has the attractive aspect of the influencer, actor of

the promotion: « Of course I think that an

influencer must have a minimum of physical

attractiveness if they promote a cosmetic product,

for example, it is normal that they must have more

or less a fresh skin so that they can be credible

after that it also allows to emphasize the product

and to incite the consumer to adopt it with the aim

of having the same result » (C-1), they also

compare influencers to models on magazines and

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2196

Volume 20, 2023

stipulate that it is instinctive and obvious that

influencers must be physically attractive to attract

their attention as consumers: « In my eyes all

influencers are physically attractive, it's like for

models in magazines that is to say we will never put

an unattractive model to sell a t-shirt or sell

jewelry » (C-3).

However, on the other hand, consumers

emphasize an important point: the fact of

identifying with the physical imperfections of the

influencer, and therefore the capacity that this

product has to correct these imperfections, that is to

say, by adapting the product to their needs, they

specify that they prefer not an influencer with a

flawless physique, but rather to show the

advantages of the product over the apparent defects

that the influencer has, thus facilitating the

projection of the consumer and his incentive to

adopt the product, with the sole purpose of

restoring an existing and common defect between

him and the influencer « ... if it's someone who

says to me listen, I suffer from the same thing as

you, look, I have pimples, he's showing me his

pimples, here I am using this product, it's starting

to have effects, I'll be more apt to follow his

recommendations because he's like me, in that he's

looking for It's better than someone who has

perfect skin promoting a cream for pimples, you

don't have any pimples. I've been following you for

years, you don't have any pimples, how do you

know that this cream works » (C-4), they consider

themselves unable to identify with an influencer

whose physique is not similar to their own and who

does not share the same imperfections as they do

« what will push me to follow an influencer in

relation to this type of recommendation is that I

identify with him or her, if it is an influencer who

has the same morphology as me, or the same skin

texture or hair as me, I will necessarily follow his

or her recommendations in relation to such and

such a product that is related to my own. If an

influencer has the same morphology as me for

example or the same skin texture or hair as me, I

will necessarily follow her recommendations for

such and such a product that are related to this

physical feature. I will know that it is something

that will be made for me » (C-5), which means that

this can be perceived as inappropriate targeting on

the part of the brand. Others support the importance

of physical attractiveness only in relation to the

nature of the product being endorsed, « ...it depends

on the product » (C-7), « to sell a t-shirt or sell

jewelry » (C-9) and argue with examples of

products that require a certain physical

attractiveness of the influencer, such as sports and

cosmetics « ...if he talks about sports so there it is

mandatory to have a good physique or for clothes

so it depends on the brand and the products if it is

cosmetics he must have an advantageous physique

so it depends » (C-8), proving that physical

attractiveness cannot be used in the approval of all

types of products in the market.

And finally, other consumers break the link

between the physical attractiveness of the

influencer and their attitude and purchase intention,

stating that it has no impact on their behaviors:

« ...it doesn't matter if she's tall, beautiful or not for

me, it's the same, it doesn't change a thing » (C-2),

« No, no, the physical appearance is not a criterion

for me, it's not because the influencer is beautiful

that I will buy a product or not » (C-6).

Following an in-depth analysis of the content

of the testimonials from the two samples, the effect

of the influencer's physical attractiveness on

consumer behavior in the Moroccan context raises

several divergences. On the one hand, some

influencers and consumers interviewed address its

positive effect, proclaiming that having an

attractive physique highlights the advantages of the

endorsed brand and encourages consumer

projection, leading to the adoption of the product in

question.

On the other hand, some point to the

breakdown in the process of identifying consumers

with physically attractive influencers, explaining

that consumers are unable to identify with an

influencer whose physique doesn't show

imperfections and flaws they can relate to, thus

discouraging them from projecting themselves and

adopting the endorsed product. In addition, they

add that exposure to highly attractive influencer

photos and videos, due to filters and photo shops,

leads consumers to psychological frustrations, loss

of self-confidence, and a lack of self-esteem. And

finally, they point out that the importance of

physical attractiveness is highly relative to the

nature of the product endorsed.

5 Discussion of the Results in Light of

the Theory

We used the method of theoretical triangulation

mentioned earlier in the methodology section,

drawing on several disciplinary points of view, to

confront, analyze and interpret our research results.

Let us recall that the influencers and consumers

interviewed were mixed on the effect of the

physical attractiveness of the influencer on the

attitude and purchase intention of Moroccan

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2197

Volume 20, 2023

consumers, thus, we found that the influencers and

consumers who refute its effect, express the same

arguments and converge towards the same goals,

and the other influencers and consumers who

proclaim its importance, also come together in a

common reasoning.

Therefore, in the light of the theory, on the one

hand, the negative testimonies about the effect of

physical attractiveness incorporate several points,

which confirm the literature review, already

presented previously. The first point, is the negative

effect of physical attractiveness on the behavior of

consumers, their mental health, and their self-

esteem, which corroborates with the statements of

several authors, [32], [62], [64], [65], [66]. Indeed,

physically attractive people tend to rub off on the

people around them, [40].

Another point that we find in their testimonies

is the attraction of the consumers towards the

influencers who resemble them, indeed,

discovering similarities with the other, brings a

feeling of benevolence, [86]. Therefore, the theory

of social identity, [87], finds all its sense in this

angle of vision, it stipulates, that through the

process of social categorization, people classify and

organize their social universe, according to criteria

of resemblance or group membership, and thus

motivated by the need to give meaning to the social

and physical world that surrounds them, to

strengthen their self-esteem. One of the hypotheses

that, [59], demonstrated in his theory of social

comparison, is that human beings have more

tendency to compare themselves to people who

resemble them, similar people, and therefore the

degree of influence will be more significant in this

case. Therefore, for the influencers, appearing with

a natural appearance and close to reality with

imperfections can lead to a strong influence on

Moroccan consumers, on the other hand, appearing

with a perfect and retouched appearance leads to a

reluctance on their part.

On the other hand, positive accounts of the

effect of physical attractiveness also address

several points, such as that consumers need role

models to inspire and encourage them to take care

of themselves, which is consistent with social

adaptation theory, [32], which suggests that

comparison with an attractive person can be useful

for self-evaluation and self-improvement. Other

authors suggest that individuals use advertising

models as a reference for comparison to determine

their own perceived attractiveness, [63].

Influencers and consumers also mention the

importance of the match between the influencer's

physique and the endorsed product, according to

the congruence theory, [88], which states that the

suitability of models to the product is an important

variable in advertising, showing that the existence

of congruence between the product and its endorser

has a favorable influence on the consumer's attitude

towards the product. Indeed, authors, [89], [90],

believe that physical attractiveness can be a

considerable asset for influencers because

according to congruence theory, a positive attitude

towards a communicator leads to a more positive

evaluation of the message.

And finally, they proclaim that the importance

of physical attractiveness is relative to the nature of

the endorsed product, a question asked in the

literature review concerning this point: is physical

attractiveness effective in the promotion of all types

of products? Indeed, the testimonies of influencers

and consumers answer this question, confirming its

theoretical answer quoted previously, [53], [55],

[56], [57], [58]. Indeed, they proclaim the

importance of physical attractiveness only in

products related to physical appearances, such as

creams, kinds of toothpaste, clothes, jewels,

cosmetic products, and products related to sports.

6 Conclusion

The present study made us discover testimonies

that stipulate that the physical attractiveness of the

influencer has a positive effect on the attitude and

the purchase intention of Moroccan consumers,

thus confirming the existing literature on this

subject. On the other hand, if we consult in depth

the testimonies that reject this positive effect, we

retain that the physical attractiveness of the

influencer is perceived as being a break in the

process of identification of the consumers in the

influencer and harmful to their mental and

psychological health. Nevertheless, the effect of

physical attractiveness is limited depending on the

nature of the endorsed product.

Thus, in the era of the humanization of

marketing, influence marketing is taking its toll.

Today's consumers need human references,

opinions from real people, real feedback, and

proximity to the product, based on tangible

examples, hence the integration of all the elements

specific to humans, while also considering their

imperfections and flaws, which is certainly

complex, but remains crucial in the world of

influence marketing, making it close, real and

accessible.

Given the social desirability bias, individuals

tend to want to project a positive and rewarding

image of themselves and thus give socially

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2198

Volume 20, 2023

desirable and pleasant answers. Or, touching on the

social facade bias or the present reaction, which

implies that the respondent adopts a facade

behavior that corresponds to the fear of being badly

judged through his answers. The respondent wants

to impress and gives a rewarding answer that would

help to give him a certain prestige, to avoid being

badly judged. These two biases can, therefore,

distort the intimate beliefs of the actors

interviewed, limit their testimonies, and reduce the

validity of the conclusions drawn.

We believe that this study will bring an

important contribution to researchers and marketers

working on the exploitation of influence marketing

related to endorsement via influencers, based on

their physical attributes, to better understand

consumer buying behavior.

Looking forward, it will be wise to explore

other avenues of research to complement this study

by further exploring the link between the physical

attractiveness of influencers and the culture of

Internet users and also to examine the degree of

influence of the physical attractiveness of

influencers on the gender of Internet users on

Instagram.

References:

[1] Herr, P.M., Kardes, F.R., & Kim, J. (1991).

Effects of Word-of-Mouth and Product-

Attribute Information on Persuasion: An

Accessibility-Diagnosticity Perspective.

Journal of Consumer Research. 17, 454-462.

[2] Hubspot. (2022). Influencer marketing

statistics for 2022. Les chiffres du marketing

d'influence pour 2022 (hubspot.fr)

[3] Evans, N. J., Phua, J., Lim, J., & Jun, H.

(2017). Disclosing Instagram influencer

advertising: The effects of disclosure

language on advertising recognition,

attitudes, and behavioral intent. Journal of

interactive advertising, 17(2), 138-149.

[4] Lemrini, A. (2020). Gender, Media, and ICT:

Status and Recommendations: National

Report MOROCCO. Global Alliance on

Media And Gender (GAMAG)..

[5] Margom, I. et Benamar, M. (2020). State of

play of influence marketing in Morocco.

International Journal of Marketing and

Strategic Management (RIMMS), 2 (4).

[6] Neal, M. (2017). Instagram influencers: The

effects of sponsorship on follower

engagement with fitness Instagram

celebrities. Rochester Institute of Technology.

[7] Kim, Y., & Wheeler, L. (1997). What's

beautiful is culturally good: the stereotype of

physical attractiveness has a different content

in collectivist cultures. Personality and

Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(8), 795-800.

[8] Berry, D. (2000). Attractiveness, attraction

and sexual selection: evolutionary

perspectives on the form and function of

physical attractiveness. Advances in

Experimental Social Psychology, 32, 273-

342.

[9] Griffin A.M. , Langlois J. H. (2006).

Stereotype directionality and attractiveness

stereotyping: Is beauty good or is ugly bad?

Social Cognition, 24(2), 187-206.

[10] Jaakonmäki, R., Müller, O., & Vom Brocke,

J. (2017, January). The impact of content,

context, and creator on user engagement in

social media marketing. In Proceedings of

the Annual Hawaii International Conference

on System Sciences (Vol. 50, pp. 1152-1160).

IEEE Computer Society Press.

[11] Ki, C. W. C., & Kim, Y. K. (2019). The

mechanism by which social media

influencers persuade consumers: the role of

consumers' desire to mimic. Psychology &

Marketing, 36(10), 905-922.

[12] Carter, D. (2016). Hustle and brand: The

sociotechnical shaping of influence. Social

Media+ Society, 2(3).

[13] Gillin, P. (2007). The New Influencers: A

Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media.

Linden Publishing.

[14] Niehaves, B., Gorbacheva, E., & Plattfaut, R.

(2012, January). Social aspects in technology

acceptance: Theory integration and

development. In 2012 45th Hawaii

International Conference on System

Sciences (pp. 3149-3158). IEEE.

[15] Sheldrake, P. (2012). The Business of

Influence: Reframing Marketing and PR for

the Digital Age. Wiley.

[16] Kelman, H.C. (1958). Compliance,

identification, and internalization: Three

processes of attitude change. Journal of

Conflict Resolution, 1, 51-60.

[17] Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer

marketing: How message value and

credibility affect consumer trust of branded

content on social media. Journal of

interactive advertising, 19(1), 58-73.

[18] Katz, E. et Lazarsfeld, F. P. (1955). Personal

influence; the role played by people in the

flow of mass communications. Glencoe, IL:

The Free Press.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2199

Volume 20, 2023

[19] Lin, H. C., Bruning, P. F., & Swarna, H.

(2018). Using online opinion leaders to

promote the hedonic and utilitarian value of

products and services. Business

horizons, 61(3), 431-442.

[20] Torres, P., Augusto, M., & Matos, M. (2019).

Antecedents and outcomes of digital

influencer endorsement: An exploratory

study. Psychology & Marketing, 36(12),

1267-1276.

[21] Cha, M., Haddadi, H., Benevenuto, F., &

Gummadi, K. (2010). Measuring user

influence on Twitter: the million-subscriber

fallacy. Proceedings of the AAAI

International Conference on the Web and

Social Media, 4(1), 10-17.

[22] Kim, J. J., Phua, J. et Jin, S. V. (2017). Uses

and gratifications of social networking sites

for bridging and bonding social capital: A

comparison of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

and Snapchat. Computers in human

behavior, 72, 115-122.

[23] De Veirman, M., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders,

L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram

influencers: the impact of number of

followers and product divergence on brand

attitude. International journal of

advertising, 36(5), 798-828.

[24] Enke, N., & Borchers, N. (2019). Social

Media Influencers in Strategic

Communication: A Conceptual Framework

for Strategic Social Media Influencer

Communication. International Journal of

Strategic Communication, 13(4), 261-277.

[25] Aristotle, J. B. (1984). The complete works of

Aristotle (Vol. 2, p. 1984). Princeton, NJ:

Princeton University Press.

[26] Semlali, M. (2021). Essay on beauty

….Maroc diplomatique.

https://marocdiplomatique.net/essai-sur-la-

beaute/

[27] Mills, J., & Aronson, E. (1965). Opinion

change as a function of the communicator's

attractiveness and desire to

influence. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 1(2), 173.

[28] McGuire, W. J. (1985). The nature of

attitudes and attitude change. Handbook of

social psychology, 2, 233-346.

[29] Berscheid, E., & Hatfield, E.

(1969). Interpersonal attraction (Vol. 69, pp.

113-114). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

[30] Bagozzi, R.P. (1974). Marketing as an

organized behavioral system of exchange.

Journal of Marketing 38 (3), 77–81.

[31] Eagly, A.H., Ashmore, R.D., Makhijani,

M.G., Longo, L.C. (1991). What is beautiful

is good, but . . . : A meta-analytic review of

research on the physical attractiveness

stereotype. Psychological Bulletin 110 (1),

109–128.

[32] Martin, M.C. ; & Gentry, J.W. (1997). Stuck

in the model trap: the effects of beautiful

models in ads on female pre-adolescents and

adolescents. Journal of Advertising, 26, 2,

19-33.

[33] Patzer, G. L. (1983). Source credibility as a

function of communicator physical

attractiveness. Journal of business

research, 11(2), 229-241.

[34] Miller, A.G. (1970). Social perception of

internal-external control. Perceptual and

Motor Skills, 30 (1), 103-109.

[35] Diener, E., Fujita, F., Wolsic, B. (1995).

Physical attractiveness and subjective well-

being. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 69(1), 120-129.

[36] Epstein, J., Claus, R., Faulkner, K.,

Klinkenberg, W., Scandell, D.

(2007). Perceived physical attractiveness,

sexual history and sexual intentions: an

Internet study. Rôles sexuels, 56(1-2), 23-31.

[37] Dubois, M. ; & Pansu, P. (2004). Facial

attractiveness, applicants' qualifications, and

judges' expertise about decisions in

preselective recruitment. Psychological

Reports, 95(3, Pt. 2), 1129-1134.

[38] Henderson, J.J.A. et Anglin, J.M.

(2003). Facial attractiveness predicts

longevity. Evolution and Human Behavior,

24(5), 351-356.

[39] Dion, K., Berscheid, E.; & Walster, E.

(1972). What is beautiful is good. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 24(3),

285-290.

[40] Landy, D. ; & Sigall, H. (1973). Radiating

beauty: Effects of having a physically

attractive partner on person

perception. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 28(2), 218-224.

[41] Chaiken, S. (1979). Communicator physical

attractiveness and persuasion. Journal of

Personality and social Psychology, 37(8),

1387.

[42] Petty, R. E., Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The

elaboration likelihood model of persuasion.

Springer New York.

[43] Petroshius, S. M., & Crocker, K. E. (1989).

An empirical analysis of spokesperson

characteristics on advertisement and product

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2200

Volume 20, 2023

evaluations. Journal of the Academy of

marketing Science, 17, 217-225.

[44] Debevec, K., et Kernan, J. B. (1984). More

evidence on the effects of presenter

attractiveness some cognitive, affective, and

behavioral consequences. ACR Avances

nord-américaines, 11, 127-132.

[45] Pornpitakpan, C. (2004). The persuasiveness

of source credibility: A critical review of five

decades' evidence. Journal of applied social

psychology, 34(2), 243-281.

[46] Djafarova, E., & Rushworth, C. (2017).

Exploring the credibility of online celebrities'

Instagram profiles in influencing the

purchase decisions of young female

users. Computers in human behavior, 68, 1-7.

[47] Friedman, H. H. et Friedman, L. (1979).

Endorser effectiveness by product

type. Journal of Advertising Research, 19(5),

63-71.

[48] Liu, T-M., Huang, Y. Y., & Minghua, J.

(2007). Relations among attractiveness of

endorsers, match‐up, and purchase intention

in sport marketing in China. Journal of

consumer marketing, 24(6), 358-365.

[49] Erdogan, B. Z. (1999). Celebrity

endorsement: A literature review. Journal of

marketing management, 15(4), 291-314.

[50] DeShields Jr, O. W., Kara, A., & Kaynak, E.

(1996). Source effects in purchase decisions:

The impact of physical attractiveness and

accent of salesperson. International Journal

of Research in Marketing, 13(1), 89-101.

[51] Kahle, L.R. et Homer, P.M. (1985). Physical

attractiveness of the celebrity endorser: a

social adaptation perspective. Journal of

Consumer Research, 11 (3), 954-961.

[52] Baker, M. J., & Churchill Jr, G. A. (1977).

The impact of physically attractive models on

advertising evaluations. Journal of Marketing

research, 14(4), 538-555.

[53] Kamins, M. A. (1990). An investigation into

the “match-up” hypothesis in celebrity

advertising: When beauty may be only skin

deep. Journal of advertising, 19(1), 4-13.

[54] Van der Waldt, D. L. R., Van Loggerenberg,

M. et Wehmeyer, L. (2009). Celebrity

endorsements versus spokespeople created in

advertising: a survey of students. South

African Journal of Economic and

Management Sciences, 12(1), 100-114.

[55] Till, B. D., & Busler, M. (2000). The match-

up hypothesis: Physical attractiveness,

expertise, and the role of fit on brand attitude,

purchase intent and brand beliefs. Journal of

advertising, 29(3), 1-13.

[56] Malshan, R.N.A.D., & Weerasiri, S. (2016).

The impact of celebrity endorsement towards

brand image with special reference to men’s

wear apparel in Sri Lanka. Proceedings of the

3rd International Conference on Trends in

Multidisciplinary Business & Economic

Research, Global Illuminators, Bangkok, p.

47.

[57] Lee, J. E., & Watkins, B. (2016). YouTube

vloggers' influence on consumer luxury

brand perceptions and intentions. Journal of

Business Research, 69(12), 5753-5760.

[58] Behm-Morawitz, E. (2017). Examining the

intersection of race and gender in video game

advertising. Journal of Marketing

Communications, 23(3), 220-239.

[59] Festinger, L. (1954). A Theory of Social

Comparison Processes. Human Relations, 7,

117-140.

[60] Goethals, G. R. (1986). Social comparison

theory: Psychology from the lost and

found. Personality and Social Psychology

Bulletin, 12(3), 261-278.

[61] Jones, D. C. (2001). Social comparison and

body image: Attractiveness comparisons to

models and peers among adolescent girls and

boys. Sex roles, 45, 645-664.

[62] Richins M.L. (1991). Social comparison and

the idealized images of advertising. Journal

of Consumer Research, 18, 1, 71-83.

[63] Thompson, C.J ; & Hirschman, E.C. (1995).

Understanding the socialized body: a

poststructuralist analysis of consumers’ self-

conceptions, body images, and selfcare

practices. Journal of Consumer Research, 22,

2, 139-153.

[64] Tiggemann, M. ; & Slater, A. (2004). Thin

ideals in music television: a source of social

comparison and body dissatisfaction.

International Journal of Eating Disorders,

35, 1, 48-58.

[65] Halliwell, E., & Dittmar, H. (2004). Does

size matter? The impact of model’s body size

on women’s body-focused anxiety and

advertising effectiveness. Journal of Social

and Clinical Psychology, 23, 1, 104-122.

[66] Lyubomirsky, S. ; & Ross, L. (1997).

Hedonic consequences of social comparison:

a contrast of happy and unhappy people.

Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 73, 6, 1141-1157.

[67] Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008).

The role of the media in body image

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2201

Volume 20, 2023

concerns among women: a meta-analysis of

experimental and correlational

studies. Psychological bulletin, 134(3), 460.

[68] Thomas, F.C. ; & Edwin A.D. III. (1997).

The nature and extent of body-image

disturbances in anorexia nervosa and bulimia

nervosa: a meta-analysis. International

Journal of Eating Disorders, 22, 2, 107-126.

[69] Borges, A. (2011). The effects of computer-

touched models on young girls' product

evaluation and self-esteem / Les effets des

modèles retouchés par ordinateur sur

l'évaluation du produit et sur l'estime de soi

des jeunes filles. Recherche et Applications

en Marketing, 26(4), 5-22.

[70] Hudson, L. A., & Ozanne, J. L. (1988).

Alternative ways of seeking knowledge in

consumer research. Journal of consumer

research, 14(4), 508-521.

[71] Neuman, L. W. (2007). Social research

methods, 6/E. Pearson Education India.

[72] Abric, J. C. (1994). Social representations

theoretical aspects. Social practices and

representations, 2, 11-37.

[73] Caillaud, S., & Flick, U. (2016).

Triangulation méthodologique. Or how to

think about your research plan. Social

representations. Theories, methods and

applications, 227-240.

[74] Yana, S. D. (1993). An attempt at

methodological triangulation: Research on

the relationships between fertility, family and

urbanization among the Bamiléké and Bëti

(Cameroon) / Un essai de triangulation

méthodologique: La recherche sur les

relations entre la fécondité, la famille et

l'urbanisation chez les Bamiléké et les Bëti

(Cameroun). Bulletin de l'APAD, (6).

[75] Mucchielli, R. (1996). Psychological and

psychosociological observation. ESF éditeur.

[76] Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N.

(2016). Qualitative inquiry and research

design: Choosing among five approaches.

Sage publications.

[77] Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories

from case study research. Academy of

management review, 14(4), 532-550.

[78] Glaser, B.G. & Strauss, A.L. (1967). The

Discovery of Grounded Theory : strategies

for qualitative research. Aldine Press,

London.

[79] Aktouf, O. (1992). Social science

methodology and qualitative approach to

organizations. Press of the University of

Quebec.

[80] Laforet, S. (2011). A framework for

organizational innovation and results in

SMEs. International Journal of

Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 17(4),

380-408.

[81] Sawadogo, H. P. (2019). The qualitative

approach and its main survey strategies.

Decolonized and pluriversal guide to

research training in the social sciences and

humanities./ L’approche qualitative et ses

principales stratégies d’enquête. Guide

décolonisé et pluriversel de formation à la

recherche en sciences sociales et humaines.

[82] Borgès Da Silva, G. (2001). Qualitative

research: another principle of action and

communication. Revue médicale de

l’assurance maladie, 32(2), 117-121.

[83] Poupart, J. (1997). The qualitative interview:

epistemological, theoretical and

methodological considerations. Qualitative

research: epistemological and

methodological issues, 173, 209 / La

recherche qualitative: enjeux

épistémologiques et méthodologiques, 173,

209.

[84] Savoie-Zajc, L. (2010). The dynamics of

support in setting up learning communities

for school staff. Education and training, 293,

9-20.

[85] Ratinaud, P., & Marchand, P. (2012). The

unlikely search for homogeneous diversity:

the debate on national identity. Langages,

(3), 93-107.

[86] Singh, S. N. ; & Spears, N. (2004).

Measuring attitude toward the brand and

purchase intentions. Journal of current issues

& research in advertising, 26(2), 53-66.

[87] Tajfel, H., Turner, J. C. (1986). Psychology

of intergroup relations. Chicago: Nelson-

Hall, 7-24.

[88] Kanungo, R. N., & Pang, S. (1973). Effects

of human models on perceived product

quality. Journal of Applied

Psychology, 57(2), 172.

[89] Joseph, W. B. (1982). The credibility of

physically attractive communicators: a

review. Journal of advertising, 11(3), 15-24.

[90] Osgood, C. E., & Tannenbaum, P. H. (1955).

The principle of congruity in the prediction

of attitude change. Psychological

review, 62(1), 42.

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2202

Volume 20, 2023

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Influencer sample

Source: Personal elaboration

Influencer

Age

Gender

Marital

status

Level of

education

Thematic on

Instagram

Most used

social

network

Number

followers

Number of

collaborations

with brands

I-1

female

married

Bac+5

Sport and

healthy nutrition

Instagram

445 000

several

I-2

female

married

Bac+5

Life style

Instagram

and tik

tok

485 000

several

I-3

female

married

Bac+2

Fashion and

clothing

Instagram

210 000

several

I-4

female

Divorced

Bac+3

Life style

Instagram

547 000

several

I-5

Non

précisé

male

married

Bac+5

Sport and

Entrepreneurship

Instagram

et twitter

212 000

several

I-6

female

married

Bac+3

Healthy diet

Instagram

27 600

several

I-7

Non

précisé

female

married

Bac+5

Fashion

Instagram

151 000

several

I-8

female

married

Bac+3

Life style

Instagram

202 000

several

I-9

Non

précisé

Couple

(one man

and one

woman)

married

Bac +5

Storytellers and

tavels

Instagram

108 000

several

I-10

female

married

Bac+5

Fashion and

music in festival

Instagram

73 400

several

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2203

Volume 20, 2023

Appendix 2: Consumer sample

Source: Personal elaboration

Contribution of Individual Authors to the

Creation of a Scientific Article (Ghostwriting

Policy)

The authors equally contributed to the present

research, at all stages from the formulation of the

problem to the final findings and solution.

Sources of Funding for Research Presented in a

Scientific Article or Scientific Article Itself

No funding was received for conducting this study.

Conflict of Interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare

that are relevant to the content of this article.

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

(Attribution 4.0 International, CC BY 4.0)

This article is published under the terms of the

Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.e

n_US

Consumer

Gender

Age

Marital status

Level of

education

profession

Number of

influencers

followed on

Instagram

Number of

purchases

recommended

by influencers

on Instagram

C-1

female

married

Bac+5

Manager of an

international

sports

franchise

C-2

male

married

Bac+5

Executive in

computer

science

C-3

female

married

Bac+5

Customer

Service

Manager

C-4

female

married

Bac+5

Responsible

for monitoring

strategic

projects in the

banking sector

1/mouth

C-5

female

single

Bac+5

Quality

Engineer

C-6

female

married

Bac+5

Director of

project

management

100

C-7

male

married

Bac+4

retired

C-8

female

single

Bac+2

salesperson

300

C-9

female

single

Bac+2

salesperson

500

C-10

female

married

Bac+3

retired

WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on BUSINESS and ECONOMICS

DOI: 10.37394/23207.2023.20.190

Imane Margom, Mohammed Ben Amar

E-ISSN: 2224-2899

2204

Volume 20, 2023