Social media influencers are transforming markets, shaping consumer opinions and engagement across industries. Traditionally seen as brand intermediaries, their broader role in reshaping markets is often overlooked. This study explores how influencer-driven narratives fuel market innovation—introducing new ideas, practices, and technologies. Using an ethnographic approach, this study examines Indian farmers turned influencers, documenting how their stories reshape market behaviors and systems. Study findings highlight influencers’ role in market innovation, and urges managers and policymakers to go beyond viewing them as mere brand amplifiers and instead leverage their transformative potential in shaping markets.
Co-author (s): Julien Cayla (Associate Professor, Nanyang Business School, NTU Singapore), Kushagra Bhatnagar (Assistant Professor, Aalto University School of Business), Sayantan Dey (Research Assistant, Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur)
Journal: International Journal of Research in Marketing.
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