The Impact of Influencer Marketing on Health and Fitness Industry
Introduction
Although a healthy and fit way of life has a long history as a way of life, the premium for prosperity and wellness has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Individuals, on the other hand, say that they have merely been attempting to be in the best shape possible, ethically eating, and exercising on a regular basis has been frequently convinced by online media platforms. There is already a tremendous amount of advertising surrounding wellness and wellbeing via the media, which is why many people use the internet to share anecdotes about their lives and give advice to others. This rouses and energizes their audience, particularly adolescents, to develop themselves by continuing to live in a similar manner.
Influencer marketing is a type of marketing that enlists the help of influential people on the internet to spread brand messaging to their audiences via paid content. Because of the rise of social media, it’s a broader version of a celebrity endorsement that now applies to a wider range of individuals. With the rise in popularity of blogs, video channels, and other social media pages, a new definition of celebrity has emerged. While traditional celebrities such as actors, actresses, and athletes are still used, marketers no longer need to rely completely on them to spread the word about a product. Instead, marketers can hire a blogger to write about their product and then leverage that person’s following and influence to engage an audience and sell things. Because many consumers now prefer to base their purchasing decisions on the opinions of other consumers and not just only celebrities (Boone and Laura, 2017)
The early 2000s saw the development of social media, which gave the influencer marketing notion a huge boost. As social media expanded in popularity, it gave marketers a whole new method to interact with their customers. On a blog, YouTube channel, Facebook page, Snapchat account, or other social media site, regular people can build a following. Marketers might then use a sponsored post to tap into that person’s following. Furthermore, social media made it easier for marketers to reach a large audience with a celebrity-endorsed product. For example, when reality TV personality Khloé Kardashian promotes a protein powder, weight-loss tea, or other product on Instagram.
Influencer marketing is expected to be a $10 billion industry by 2020, and it is becoming increasingly important for many businesses, particularly those in the business-to-consumer space. Few companies in the fashion, beauty, travel, food, and beverage industries are executing marketing campaigns that do not include, at least to some extent, partnership with popular users on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. However, many marketing managers still have a limited understanding of those platforms compared to more traditional media outlets, making it difficult to make the best decisions in this fast-paced environment (Haenlein et al., 2020)
Influencer marketing’s surge in popularity is also due to its social nature. It is now easier than ever for a marketer to connect a brand or product with consumers thanks to the shift to social media. People expect brands to interact with them on social media these days. Instead of just selling to them, consumers expect businesses to entertain and inform them. In this new paradigm, brands may collaborate with the right influencers to generate natural dialogues about their products or services.
Every day, people are exposed to thousands of traditional advertisements. Indeed, so many advertisements are seen on a daily basis that people automatically tune them out, a condition known as banner blindness. Because a social media post may not immediately appear as an ad, a customer is more likely to pay attention to it, influencer marketing allows an advertiser to break through that blindness. Influencer marketing is a type of native advertising since it embeds brands and products within organic content, giving consumers a better experience.
However, as influencer marketing has grown in popularity and recognition, many customers have begun to dismiss well-known influencers, prompting some firms to turn to “micro influencers,” who have fewer followers but are well-known in specific circles and may be viewed as more trustworthy. The advent of “false influencers,” persons who exaggerate the size of their social media followings by paying for fake followers and bots to like or comment on their posts, has also influenced trends away from large-scale influencers. In 2019, the cybersecurity firm Cheq predicted that false influencers cost advertisers $1.3 billion
Influencer marketing has been around for a long time. Some of the earliest examples include Nancy Green portraying her character “Aunt Jemima” from one of her popular shows and representing a pancake mix brand owned by R.T. Davis Milling Company in 1890 (Grin,2021). A recent example includes Henry Cavil acting as the chief creative director and spokesperson for MuscleTech as of 2020.
The Global Wellness Industry is estimated around $4.2 trillion (Global Wellness Institute, 2018). Sports and nutrition brand these days usually sponsor fitness models, bodybuilders or fitness enthusiasts who have a social media presence. For example, Henry Cavil acting as the chief creative director and spokesperson for MuscleTech as of 2020. 21.7% of brands found ambassador and long term relationships as the most effective collaboration type and 49.6% of influencers stated their followers care most about authentic content (blog.zine.co,2020).The audience follows these influencers for their workout routines and ideas, reviews of different supplements and trends in the fitness industry. These fitness enthusiasts hold professional certifications and have a personal clientele who pay these trainers for personalized workouts and diet plans. Moreover, fitness models are sponsored to post different gym wear and sports clothes. These posts usually have aesthetic appeal to them and attract customers.
With health and fitness having become such popular topics in recent years, a growing number of people are attempting to cash in on the trend by covering it on their social media platforms, especially Instagram. That this situation may help all parties involved – influencers, businesses, and end users – It’s critical to understand how to gain followers’ confidence by understanding the most significant factor in overall trust. Although there have been several studies on e-commerce confidence, none have attempted to examine the situation with influencer marketing, especially fitness-related influencers on Instagram.
Literature Review
The pattern of carrying on with a healthy and fit way of life has a long history, yet particularly throughout the most recent decade, the interest in physical wellbeing has been expanding at a considerably higher rate (Neumaier, 2002). While individuals have consistently been endeavoring to be simply the best form, eating sensibly and working out regualry is frequently inspired by online media platfroms. There is presently an immense publicity around wellness and wellbeing via web-based media (Ridgway and Clayton, 2016), which is the reason a large number of individuals utilize online media to share their personal experince and their way of life to offer guidance to other people (Koch and Luu, 2015). This persuades and motivates the audince, particularly teens, to transform themselves by carrying on with a similar and healthy way of life (Koch and Luu, 2015).
In today’s digital world, there are over 3.6 billion Internet users, accounting for about half of the global population. With the rise of the Internet and the advertising strategies that go with it, mass marketing isn’t as dominant as it once was, given that an enormously large number of people now communicate and share information via this medium. As Internet technologies continue to advance, it is critical to stay informed about changing Internet user behavior and to understand the changes that are occurring in Internet usage. Because of the Internet’s advancements, data and correspondence have essentially expanded. As a result, how people keep up with current events and functions has altered. Web-based media now encourages system administration and correspondence through writings, recordings, online journals, photos, and announcements on social networking sites (SNS, for example, Facebook, LinkedIn, or microblogs like Twitter). As stated by, clients have a better opportunity to communicate their conclusions and provide their viewpoints, moment contemplations, and encounters with their companions through web-based media as a result of this new computerized time. Clients also use this technology to acquire information on companies and their products before making purchasing decisions. Furthermore, they feel more comfortable communicating because the anonymity and security provided by web-based media allows people to feel more confident about sharing their true feelings about the brands they work with: “Web-based media has enabled individuals to speak to, record, and investigate social practices just as it has empowered clients to set up and participate in computerized networking (Ruby Chanda, 2020).
In the last few years, the use of social media marketing and its use in commercial settings has been a hotly debated subject in the health and fitness industry (Grimm, 2013). There are 2.62 billion people on social media worldwide, with 2.23 billion active users on Facebook (Statista, 2018b) and roughly 1 billion active users on Instagram. The latter is marked by a rapid increase in the number of influencers. Influencers are considered to have a wide audience of people who share common interests, making it possible to influence their purchasing habits (Charlesworth, 2018). Since influencers are seen as “average people,” rather than celebrities, it is easy to establish a link and establish trust between followers and influencers (Charlesworth, 2018). As a result of this growth, global companies have been urged to adapt their marketing strategies to include online marketing, especially influencer marketing, particularly on Instagram.
When people think of gyms, new factors such as fitness, fun, and connectivity have become more important over time, and they are no longer exclusively concerned with their physical appearance (Hoffmann, 2002). People in the 1990s had the mentality of following a strict fitness schedule – which they referred to as the input –and thereby achieving their ideal bodies – which they referred to as the performance (Haemers, 2016). People nowadays mostly go to the gym for the “wellness” aspect, which includes not only working out but also activities such as going to the sauna afterward, taking aerobics lessons, and eating a protein bar before returning home (Hoffmann, 2002).
The health and fitness craze has been present on social media for as long as they’ve been coexisting (Koch & Luu, 2015). People who live a “fitness lifestyle” – which involves eating healthily, exercising regularly, and sometimes even taking care of one’s mental health – are increasingly posting vlogs or photos on social media about it (Juhlin & Soini, 2018). They usually share diet and training tips with the intention of assisting their followers in achieving their ultimate goals (Koch & Luu, 2015). While some people will find it inspiring, others may misinterpret all of that knowledge and simply compare themselves to other people on social media, particularly among young women (Juhlin & Soini, 2018). According to a study conducted by Cohen and colleagues (2017), Instagram users have substantially higher levels of body surveillance – which refers to body objectification and body image issues – than non-users of Instagram. This can happen as a result of teenage women’s obsession with very slim – and often unhealthy – bodies on Instagram (Cohen, Newton-John, & Slater, 2017).
According to a study, social network sites’ posts can influence people’s health-related beliefs, and that this potential influence might be contingent upon people’s comparison of themselves to others within their social network (Burke and Rains, 2018)
Methodology
In general, there are three types of research approaches: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research (Creswell, 2014).
Qualitative analysis aims to investigate and comprehend events, communities, or individuals (Creswell, 2014). Qualitative research seems to be the most appropriate design for researching social relations, as it allows researchers to delve deeper into people’s minds and emotions (Flick, 2006). As opposed to quantitative research, qualitative research takes longer, needs a more precise description of targets in the early stages, and cannot be completed or evaluated by a machine, implying that it must be checked and understood by human beings with feelings (Berg, 2001). Qualitative study is often chastised because it appears to be unscientific and therefore biassed (Berg, 2001). However, as in any form of research design, the more people studied, heard, or questioned, the more generalised it becomes (Creswell, 2014).
Quantitative analysis focuses on exploring relationships between two or more variables in order to test hypotheses (Creswell, 2014). These variables must be quantifiable in some way such that effective statistical methods can be applied (Creswell, 2014). This can be accomplished by coding knowledge so that it can be interpreted and treated through a variety of software platforms and by multiple researchers (Moutinho & Hutcheson, 2011) The larger a quantitative method’s sample size, the more representative it is of the entire population (Fowler, 2002). In general, there are two types of quantitative research designs: experimental and non-experimental designs, such as surveys (Creswell, 2014). In experimental designs, the researcher gives one of two groups a specific treatment while excluding it from the other, aiming for a definite outcome of control (Creswell, 2014). The purpose of surveys, which can vary from questionnaires to interviews, is to get an answer for the whole population (Creswell, 2014).
Mixed methods analysis combines qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to gather as much information as possible (Creswell, 2014). Researchers who believed in both qualitative and quantitative approaches and saw both as useful in answering their research questions were the first to use it (Johnson, Onwuegbuzie, & Turner, 2007). Since the response requires both statistical tests and interviews or other qualitative approaches, combining both forms of analysis will lead to a more solid conclusion for a query (Creswell, 2014).
Guiding Questions:
Why is influencer marketing important in health and fitness sector?
Are people actually inspired by these fitness enthusiasts and follow their ideas?
Do people actually buy supplements because it was recommended by their favorite fitness models?
Are people inspired by these models and decided to adopt a healthy lifestyle?
Does the number of followers an influencer has improve his/her credibility?
Do people blindly trust their favorite influencer? Has it brought any positive or negative change in their lives?
How have these influencers helped increase consumer awareness, brand recognition and awareness and sales?
Has influencer marketing benefitted sports and nutrition brands and companies?
Role of influencer marketing in marketing campaigns carried out by fitness brands
Data collection
For data collection a mixed method will be used where secondary data will be collected from existing literature and online journals. This will help in understanding what the term influencer marketing represents and determine its trend and growth rate. To understand the direct impact and role of influencer marketing on businesses (sports and nutrition brands), secondary data will be collected.
Since there is not enough literature that will answer the research’s main question, therefore quantitative research will be conducted where first-hand information will be collected with the help of online questionnaires and interviews. This will help study the impact of influencer marketing on people. Stratified sampling will be used which divides the population into certain characteristics, therefore it will help reach the right target audience i.e., people who are into health and fitness and help produce results that are more generalized. A sample size of 100-150 people will be used in order to collect data and draw any conclusion.
Since there is a limited amount of research concerning consumer trust in influencer marketing, specifically in the fitness industry, an online questionnaire-based survey is conducted for primary research. This makes it possible to create direct contact – still anonymously – with the actual target group, namely people who use social media sites and are interested in fitness.
3-4 short face-to-face or online interviews will be conducted with people belonging to the health and fitness industry such as a bodybuilder, trainer or a gym-goer.
Data Analysis
Quantitative data will be evaluated using the statistical computer application SPSS once it is collected. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) is one of the most user-friendly and powerful statistical packages on the market. For ordinal, nominal, and interval scaled variables, the application specifies the scale type of variables and develops descriptive and inferential statistics (Hatzinger & Nagel, 2013). Data will then be presented in the form of tables and charts.
In qualitative research (interviews), the results might not be directly related to specific sub-questions or hypotheses. In this case, the analysis will be structure around key themes or topics that are related to the main research question.
General observations can be made about what the data showed. For example, recurring points of agreement or disagreement, patterns and trends, and individual responses can be mentioned that were particularly significant to the research question which can be clarified through direct quotation from the interviewee.
References
Berg, B. L. (2001). Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Pearson Education.
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Creswell, J. (2014). Research Design (4th ed.). London: SAGE Publications
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Global Wellness Institute. 2020. Wellness Now A $4.2 Trillion Global Industry – Global Wellness Institute. [online] Available at: [Accessed 31 December 2020].
GRIN – Influencer Marketing Software. 2021. The History of Influencer Marketing – GRIN – Influencer Marketing Software. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 February 2021].
Hoffmann, M. (2002). Die Fitness-Branche im Wandel – Eine Expertenbefragung über die zukünftige Entwicklung der österreichischen Fitnessindustrie. Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien.
Influencer Marketing Hub. 2021. What is Influencer Marketing? An in Depth Look at Marketing’s Next Big Thing. [online] Available at: [Accessed 1 February 2021].
Juhlin, L., & Soini, M. (2018). How do influencer marketers affect brand associations?: a semiotic Instagram study in the sports fashion industry. Högskolan Kristianstad. Retrieved from http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva21223967&dswid=-9073
Koch, A., & Luu, M. (2015). Strong is the new skinny. Zürich. Retrieved from http://allesoverjongeren.nl/jongerentrend-strong-is-the-new-skinny/
Moutinho, L., & Hutcheson, G. (2011). The SAGE Dictionary of Quantitative Management Research. London: SAGE Publications.
Haenlein, M., Anadol, E., Farnsworth, T., Hugo, H., Hunichen, J. and Welte, D., 2020. Navigating the New Era of Influencer Marketing: How to be Successful on Instagram, TikTok, & Co. California Management Review, 63(1), pp.5-25.
Burke, T. and Rains, S., 2018. The Paradoxical Outcomes of Observing Others’ Exercise Behavior on Social Network Sites: Friends’ Exercise Posts, Exercise Attitudes, and Weight Concern. Health Communication, 34(4), pp.475-483.
Ruby Chanda, A., 2020. The impact of influencer marketing in the fitness industry on consumer trust. [online] Ejmcm.com. Available at: [Accessed 5 August 2021].
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