Rethinking influencer-brand partnerships – a new model for success

Influencer marketing has reshaped how brands engage with audiences, but many partnerships fall short of their potential. A new Journal of Marketing study uncovers the challenges and power imbalances that often derail these collaborations, offering actionable solutions for both brands and influencers.

The study, “Sponsored Content as an Epistemic Market Object: How Platformization of Brand–Creator Partnerships Disrupts Valuation, Coproduction, and the Relationship Between Market Actors,” authored by Zeynep Arsel (Concordia University), Maria Carolina Zanette (NEOMA Business School), and Carolina da Rocha Melo (ALDO Group), explores the dynamics of sponsored content and why traditional approaches to influencer marketing frequently fail to deliver long-term value.

“Influencers bring authenticity and audience trust to the table, but when brands impose excessive controls, it can undermine this value,” says Arsel. “Our research shows that these imbalances often hurt both creators and brands.”

Key Findings

Control Undermines Creativity

• Brands frequently script influencer content or focus on short-term metrics like reach or sales.
• This approach devalues influencers’ creative expertise, reducing the authenticity that makes influencer marketing effective.

Power Imbalances Harm Trust

• Influencers often feel pressured to meet brand demands, even if it means resorting to practices like buying fake followers.
• In response, brands implement surveillance measures, creating a cycle of distrust that weakens partnerships.

Short-Term Thinking is a Risk

• Focusing on immediate metrics like sales and engagement often misses the broader value of influencer marketing, such as building brand loyalty and deepening audience connections.

“These collaborations work best when both parties trust each other and align on long-term goals,” explains Zanette. “Short-term thinking can undermine these partnerships, hurting everyone involved.”

Recommendations for Brands and Influencers

The study offers actionable insights for improving influencer-brand partnerships:

For Brands:

• Recognize influencers’ independence and avoid over-scripting content.
• Shift focus from short-term metrics to long-term outcomes, such as audience loyalty and sentiment.
• Foster trust by collaborating as equal partners rather than imposing strict hierarchies.

For Influencers:

“Brands need to respect influencers as creators with their own audiences and goals,” says da Rocha Melo. “At the same time, influencers must professionalize their operations to balance creative freedom with business demands.”

Broader Implications

The findings go beyond influencer marketing, addressing challenges in other emerging markets like NFTs, the Metaverse, and generative AI. The study suggests that in these contexts, similar valuation and collaboration ambiguities create power imbalances that require careful management. This study calls for a fundamental shift in how brands and influencers approach their partnerships. By prioritizing trust, respecting creative independence, and focusing on long-term impact, both parties can create campaigns that achieve meaningful results.

Full article and author contact information available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429241296459

About the Journal of Marketing 

The Journal of Marketing develops and disseminates knowledge about real-world marketing questions useful to scholars, educators, managers, policy makers, consumers, and other societal stakeholders around the world. Published by the American Marketing Association since its founding in 1936, JM has played a significant role in shaping the content and boundaries of the marketing discipline. Shrihari (Hari) Sridhar (Joe Foster ’56 Chair in Business Leadership, Professor of Marketing at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University) serves as the current Editor in Chief. https://www.ama.org/jm

About the American Marketing Association (AMA)

As the leading global professional marketing association, the AMA is the essential community for marketers. From students and practitioners to executives and academics, we aim to elevate the profession, deepen knowledge, and make a lasting impact. The AMA is home to five premier scholarly journals including: Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of International Marketing, and Journal of Interactive Marketing. Our industry-leading training events and conferences define future forward practices, while our professional development and PCM® professional certification advance knowledge. With 70 chapters and a presence on 350 college campuses across North America, the AMA fosters a vibrant community of marketers. The association’s philanthropic arm, the AMA’s Foundation, is inspiring a more diverse industry and ensuring marketing research impacts public good. 

AMA views marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. You can learn more about AMA’s learning programs and certifications, conferences and events, and scholarly journals at AMA.org.