Preliminary communication

POSITION AND IMPORTANCE OF INFLUENCERS IN CROATIA

Antun Biloš orcid.org/0000-0003-1676-5959 ; Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku, Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Trg Ljudevita Gaja 7, 31000 Osijek
Bruno Budimir ; Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku, Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Trg Ljudevita Gaja 7, 31000 Osijek
Sanja Jaška orcid.org/0000-0003-2929-8501 ; Jaškapack d.o.o., Savska cesta 1, 10360 Sesvete

Abstract

With the development of Internet media, social networks and other communication channels in the digital environment, information overload helps fake news spread and it is difficult to distinguish accurate and valid information from fake news or unreliable information. In such an environment, there was a lack of trust in existing mainstream media and communication channels and influencers and influencers emerged – influential people whom the public admire or trust, people who, due to their popularity, authority, knowledge or relationship with their audience, influence trends or opinions of their audience. Today, influencers can be divided into three main categories depending on the number of their followers, but general division would be into celebrities and professionals and smaller influencers with more specific target group. In this paper two survey were conducted – one on Internet users on their perception of influencers and the other research in the form of an in-depth interview describing the influencer's relationship with his audience. The research conducted shows that trust in influencers is perceived at relativly low levels because the public realizes that their earnings are based on sponsored content. In-depth interviews with well-known Croatian influencers such as Fran Lauš, Matija Lazarević and Ella Dvornik show the other side of the coin, explaining why to trust them and what content they would accept to promote to their followers. Their communication channel is primarily social media that differ depending on the influencer, the topic, the content, but also the audience. In Croatia, their platforms are most often Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. These platforms enable them to interact with the audience, which makes this type of promotion a specific channel for the promotion of messages.

Keywords

Influencers; social media; influencer marketing; Internet information; Croatia

Hrčak ID:

254845

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/254845

Publication date:

30.3.2021.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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