Rights statement: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Marketing Management on 17/01/2023, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609
Accepted author manuscript, 552 KB, PDF document
Available under license: CC BY-NC: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - When parasocial relationships turn sour
T2 - social media influencers, eroded and exploitative intimacies, and anti-fan communities
AU - Mardon, Rebecca
AU - Cocker, Hayley
AU - Daunt, Kate
N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Marketing Management on 17/01/2023, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609
PY - 2023/7/24
Y1 - 2023/7/24
N2 - Whilst social media influencers (SMIs) excel at establishing positive parasocial relationships with their followers, they can also provoke intense negative responses, as evidenced by the prevalence of SMI-focused anti-fan communities. Prior research does not explain how consumers’ parasocial relationships with SMIs become negatively charged, nor does it explain why this shift may fuel anti-fan community participation. Drawing from a netnographic study of two SMI anti-fan communities, we reveal that eroded reciprocal and disclosive intimacies, as well as exploitative commercial intimacies, can lead consumers’ positive parasocial relationships with SMIs to become negatively charged. We demonstrate that anti-fan communities provide opportunities for consumers reluctant to sever ties with the SMI to sustain their negative parasocial relationship by rebuilding eroded intimacies whilst avoiding and/or retaliating against their exploitation.
AB - Whilst social media influencers (SMIs) excel at establishing positive parasocial relationships with their followers, they can also provoke intense negative responses, as evidenced by the prevalence of SMI-focused anti-fan communities. Prior research does not explain how consumers’ parasocial relationships with SMIs become negatively charged, nor does it explain why this shift may fuel anti-fan community participation. Drawing from a netnographic study of two SMI anti-fan communities, we reveal that eroded reciprocal and disclosive intimacies, as well as exploitative commercial intimacies, can lead consumers’ positive parasocial relationships with SMIs to become negatively charged. We demonstrate that anti-fan communities provide opportunities for consumers reluctant to sever ties with the SMI to sustain their negative parasocial relationship by rebuilding eroded intimacies whilst avoiding and/or retaliating against their exploitation.
KW - Social media influencers
KW - anti-fan communities
KW - anti-fandom
KW - influencer marketing
KW - intimacy
KW - parasocial relationships
U2 - 10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609
DO - 10.1080/0267257X.2022.2149609
M3 - Journal article
VL - 39
SP - 1132
EP - 1162
JO - Journal of Marketing Management
JF - Journal of Marketing Management
SN - 0267-257X
IS - 11-12
ER -