Judging a book by its cover? The role of unconventional appearance on social media influencers effectiveness

Social media influencers (SMI) have gained undeniable importance as brands endorsers. However, although their credibility can be affected by the way they look, no known studies have applied appearance stereotypes to SMI's perceived attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise, particularly when that appearance is unconventional (e.g., use of body tattoos). Therefore, building on extant endorsement research and the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), the study examines how the use of tattoos impacts SMI's credibility, attractiveness, and effectiveness. Based on a sample of 260 young adults, a 2 x 2 x 2 (SMI gender x tattoo x domain) experimental design was conducted. Results indicate a tattoo premium effect, regardless of SMI's domain. By extending the SCM framework to the influencer marketing literature, this study contributes to both research fields, while providing valuable insights to brands and SMI.