Open research questions in Digital Marketing and Social Media

What the literature leaves open

• The recommendations are grounded in the structural model results, which identified attitude as the strongest predictor of digital marketing engagement, while values demonstrated a positive but comparatively limited effect, and personality, interests, and lifestyle were not substantively supported; thus, marketers should prioritize strategies that cultivate favourable consumer attitudes and integrate Kapampangan cultural values rather than treating all psychographic dimensions equally. Specifically, value-based and culturally aligned content should be developed to reflect Kapampangan traditions, family orientation, community relationships, social responsibility, and regional pride, using elements such as local language, symbols, and practices to strengthen emotional connection, engagement, and loyalty; marketers may employ focus groups, surveys, and social media analytics to identify relevant values and test culturally aligned content against generic campaigns. In addition, personalized digital campaigns should primarily be attitude-based, addressing consumer perceptions of digital advertising, brand credibility, privacy, and platform trustworthiness through targeted messaging, transparent communication, and tailored incentives, supported by data from social media insights, customer feedback, and CRM systems, with measurable objectives related to engagement, trust, and conversion. Furthermore, influencer marketing should leverage credible and culturally aligned Kapampangan figures who embody trustworthiness and shared values, rather than relying solely on personality or lifestyle fit, to enhance authenticity, relatability, and community trust; campaign effectiveness may be evaluated through engagement metrics, audience feedback, and attitude assessments. Overall, digital marketing strategies should focus on attitude as the primary driver, with value-based cultural alignment as a complementary approach, while personality, interests, and lifestyle may serve only as secondary descriptors unless further evidence supports their practical influence, ensuring that campaigns are guided by data-driven evaluation, audience testing, and clearly defined performance indicators to optimize digital marketing engagement among Kapampangan millennials.

  Psychographic Traits and Digital Marketing Engagement among Millennials: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach · 2026 · DOI

• Future research could explore longitudinal designs, experiments, or qualitative investigations to deepen understanding of digital branding dynamics, including the role of virtual reality menus, AI-driven personalization, or emerging digital storytelling formats.

  Role of Strategic Digital Marketing Tools (Smm, Seo, and Content Marketing) in Restaurant Competitiveness and Brand Positioning · 2026 · DOI

• 9% of the variance in purchase decisions, suggesting that a substantial proportion of consumer behavior remains influenced by other factors beyond the scope of this study. Although influencer-generated content successfully attracts consumer attention and improves product visibility, the findings indicate that such promotional activities alone are insufficient to directly encourage purchasing decisions.

  The Influence of Brand Image, Influencer Marketing, Online Customer Reviews, and Scarcity Marketing on Consumers' Purchase Decisions for Skintific Products on TikTok · 2026 · DOI

• A https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231169933 of Zheng, X., Cheung, C. M. K., Lee, M. K. O., & Liang, L. (2015). Building brand loyalty through user engagement in online brand communities in social networking sites. Information Technology & People, 28(1), 90-106.

  FROM GAMEPLAY TO MARKETPLACE: A CASE STUDY OF TCG VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES · 2026 · DOI

• • Longitudinal studies tracking social media marketing impact across multiple years would provide stronger evidence of sustained commercial benefits beyond the initial implementation period • Sector-specific research examining how social media effectiveness varies across retail, hospitality, professional services, and manufacturing small businesses would add important contextual nuance • Studies incorporating independently verified financial performance data rather would than significantly strengthen the evidence base for revenue impact claims self-reported figures • Research examining the emerging impact of artificial intelligence tools, automated content and AI-powered audience targeting on small business social media effectiveness would reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape scheduling, • Comparative studies examining social media marketing effectiveness across urban and rural small business contexts in commercially…

  The Impact of Social Media Marketing on Small Businesses · 2026 · DOI

• Product Mohan, M., & Sharma, P. (2025). AI-Driven Influencer Marketing: Integrating Data Analytics and ChatGPT for Ethical Innovation. Navigating the Risks and Rewards of ChatGPT: Governance, Innovation, and Ethical Challenges, 1–26. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373- 0877-7.ch001 Mujib, A. (2025). The failure of Indonesian e-commerce law in adapting to digital economy. Ijtihad: Scopus. Islam Dan Kemanusiaan, 25(2), 213–230.

  Cognitive Roots of Customer Engagement: Sentiment-Driven Decision Dynamics in Social Media Marketing of Indonesian SMEs · 2026 · DOI

• SMEs must adopt specialized social media management strategies to increase engagement, ensuring frequent and effective online presence. Personalized responses to customers' inquiries can help to create stronger relationships and to build brand loyalty by making customers feel listened to and valued. In addition, companies must prioritize creating visually engaging content, as captivating visuals can significantly increase interactions and translate into higher sales conversions. By implementing these steps, SMEs can maximize the success of their social media efforts and improve overall brand performance.

  Impact of Influencer Marketing on Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya · 2026 · DOI

• Many traditional travel agencies have not yet established a systematic interaction mechanism. The average score for social interactive promotion is relatively low, which may indicate that the current travel agencies' social media interaction practices are still insufficient.

  The Impact of Four Social Media Content Strategies on Consumer Purchase Intention: Evidence from a Travel Agency Case (UTour) · 2026 · DOI

• While there have been studies that investigated the official advertising discourse of companies and brand owners, not much is known about the advertising discourse produced by “influencers” on SM platforms.

  Oh Girls, It Took My Mind! · 2026 · DOI

• Although text‐based user‐generated content (UGC) has been widely studied, the potential of visual UGC, particularly in the travel, tourism and hospitality (TTH) sector, remains underexplored.

  Visualizing ESG Signaling Through User‐Generated Content: A Strategic Foresight Framework for Symbolic Legitimacy in Hospitality Branding · 2026 · DOI

• For Brand Managers and Digital Marketers 1. Authenticity-First Content Strategy: Develop a systematic 'authenticity audit' process that evaluates all social media content against three criteria: (a) does it reflect verifiable organisational values? (b) does it invite genuine two-way interaction? (c) does it add value to the consumer independent of its promotional intent? Content failing these criteria should be revised before publication. 2. Micro-Influencer Prioritisation: Establish structured partnership criteria that prioritise creator-brand value alignment over follower reach. Implement mandatory product experience periods (minimum 4–6 weeks) before influencer content production to ensure authentic endorsements that resist Gen Z authenticity scrutiny. 3. Regional Content Localisation for Tier-2 Markets: Invest in Hindi and regional language content strategies that reflect tier-2 cultural contexts, humour registers, and lived experiences. Brands that persist with metropolitan-centric content in tier-2 markets sacrifice significant community credibility. 4. Community Infrastructure Investment: Shift social media investment from content production scale to community management depth. Systematic response protocols (target: sub-24-hour engagement on all brand mentions), co-creation campaigns, and brand-associated WhatsApp communities convert followers into advocates. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by IJCOPE Journal. Website: https://ijcope.org/ 8 International Journal of Creative and Open Research in Engineering and Management ISSN: 3108-1754 (Online) Volume 02 Issue 06 June-2026 | Impact Factor: 3.5 7.2 For Digital Platform Developers Platform developers should prioritise algorithm transparency, enabling both brands and consumers to understand content distribution dynamics. Enhanced paid partnership labelling tools and regional language community support features would materially improve the integrity and inclusivity of social media brand engagement ecosystems in India. 7.3 For Policymakers Comprehensive influencer marketing disclosure regulations — analogous to FTC guidelines but adapted for India's creator economy scale — are urgently needed. Concurrently, digital media literacy programmes for tier-2 and tier-3 city Gen Z consumers would equip this cohort with the critical evaluation skills necessary to navigate increasingly complex commercial social media environments. 8. CONCLUSION This study provides rigorous empirical evidence that social media engagement is a fundamental mechanism for Gen Z brand loyalty formation in tier-2 urban India.

  A Study on a Role of Social Media Engagement in Building Brand Loyalty among Gen Z Consumers · 2026 · DOI

• experience mediated by digital means. personalization, indicates systems, and VOSviewer consist of twenty-four keywords divided in six distinct clusters, that represents primary thematic areas within research on this field. The nodes are represented by the keywords, the size of the node represents how often keyword has occurred and the connecting relationships are the strength of co- occurrence between the terms. Clustering structure illustrates the conceptual interconnection between different research topics in the literature. Cluster 1 (AI Interaction and Consumer Decision- Making) includes artificial intelligence, chatbots, anthropomorphism, purchase perceived intention and trust. The interconnected research domaine identified from this cluster focus on the behavioral and psychological dimensions associated with adoption AI in digital retailing.

  The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Consumer Behaviour: A Bibliometric and Science Mapping Study (2006–2026) · 2026 · DOI

• engines, The upward trend of the publication, particularly after this research interdisciplinary 2019 suggest that there is a steady increase in publications on AI and consumer behavior in digital context. Through this trajectory, it can be stated that involves now diversified areas like marketing, information system, and digital commerce. It is also evident that between 2022 and 2025 research interest lies in the integration of artificial intelligence and digital consumer behavior, which the expanding adoption of AI technologies such as chatbots, recommendation analysis within online systems, environments. and virtual reflects 3.3 Core Publication Sources Fig. 3 describes that the literature is condensed, focussing on small group of journals. The findings as per Bradford Law indicates that research on artificial intelligence and digital consumer behavior is largely concerned within a limited number of core journals. Classification of these journals are done according to the zones. Zone 1 Journal leads the publication of articles in which the Journal of Retailing and Consumer services is the most prominent source, with total of 30 published articles, highlighting work related to AI - driven consumer behavior and development in digital commerce. It is followed by the Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research with 21 publications, where focuss is on electronic commerce MOST RELEVANT SOURCES 70 79 86 91 51 61 96 101 105 109 113 117 121 125 30 30 0 21 0 10 0 9 0 9 0 7 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 S E L C I T R A F O. O N SOURCES cumFreq Fig.

  The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Consumer Behaviour: A Bibliometric and Science Mapping Study (2006–2026) · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should consider adding variables such as trust, brand image, and purchase or loyalty intention, broadening the scope to apply the model to other sectors like culinary, fashion, and tourism, and employing mixed methods to combine quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews for richer insights.

  The Effect of Social Media Marketing and Customer Experience on Customer Satisfaction in Furniture Stores in Bitung City with the Mediating Role of Disconfirmation · 2026 · DOI

• platforms and hospitality contexts, several critical remain. First, existing research predominantly relies on indirect indicators—such as online reviews or perceived cleanliness— rather than systematically analyzing how specific institutional traceability, certification, and standardized mechanisms (e.g., procedures) the interaction between institutional trust and cognitive trust in the context of digital hygiene governance remains underexplored. Third, little attention has been paid to how individual psychological differences, such as disgust sensitivity, shape users’ responses to hygiene-related information. Therefore, a clear and systematic investigation of how digital platforms construct multidimensional trust through institutionalized hygiene information disclosure is still lacking. trust-building signals. Second, this study aims influences users’ On the basis of the above, using survey data and empirical analysis, to systematically investigate how institutionalized hygiene information disclosure on hotel digital platforms formation and behavioral trust intention. Specifically, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) How do different hygiene-related institutional mechanisms affect institutional trust and cognitive trust? (2) How do these two dimensions of trust influence users’ booking intention?

  The effect of online hygiene information expression on customers' institutional and cognitive trust in tourist accommodation · 2026 · DOI

• evolutions. 15(2), Determinants, https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021486 research Maulana, M. R., Irawan, A., Setiawan, A., & Agustina. (2025). Digital marketing data mapping using bibliometric analysis. Information Technology, 5(2), 356–367.

  MAPPING THE INTELLECTUAL AND CONCEPTUAL STRUCTURE OF DIGITAL MARKETING RESEARCH IN GLOBAL OUTREACH”: A BIBLIOMETRIC REVIEW · 2026 · DOI

• Several limitations warrant acknowledgment. First, the cross-sectional design precludes causal conclusions; the mediation findings represent indirect effects consistent with the hypothesized model rather than confirmed causal pathways. Longitudinal panel designs with time-lagged measurement of predictors, mediator, and outcome are needed to establish temporal ordering. Second, convenience sampling within a single-country context limits generalizability; findings should be interpreted as applicable to the studied sample. Future research should employ probability-based sampling and cross-cultural replication across Western, East Asian, and other Middle Eastern markets. Third, Harman's single-factor test indicated that the first unrotated factor explained 65.69% of total variance, exceeding the 50% threshold. While this test has recognized limitations and the high first-factor variance is consistent with genuine covariation among related digital marketing constructs, common method variance remains a potential concern. Future studies should employ temporally separated measurement occasions, marker variable techniques, and multi-source data collection. Fourth, the HTMT bootstrap confidence interval between electronic loyalty and electronic digital services (upper CI = 1.015) exceeded 1.0, suggesting that these constructs share substantial variance. Future research should explore more differentiated measurement approaches, including higher-order construct modeling or formative specification. Fifth, the removal of emotional marketing from the model, while empirically justified, limits the scope of conclusions regarding emotional dimensions of digital marketing. Finally, future research should examine how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning enhance ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT ARTICLE IN PRESS digital marketing effectiveness and considerations in strategy selection.

  Electronic customer relationship management as a mediator between digital marketing strategies and electronic loyalty among Saudi Arabian consumers · 2026 · DOI

• • The study is limited to Mastermind Techno Solution technology the broader and may not represent industry. • The sample size of 100 respondents may limit the generalizability of the findings. • Responses are based on individual perceptions and may include subjective bias. • Rapid changes in digital marketing trends may affect the relevance of findings over time. III.

  A Study on Effectiveness of Content Marketing with Special Reference to Mastermind Techno Solution · 2026 · DOI

• the company of In this study, the findings offer marketing practitioners or managers of e-commerce platforms, especially travel industry, with instructional ideas and suggestions for the factors affecting perceived ereview credibility. Particularly, the findings also indicate that among the different informational elements, argument strength and source reliability are the most important, and in line with other earlier research, to control the cognitive functions of the receivers. Hence, travel e-commerce platforms might concentrate on ways to raise the quality and source credibility (i.e., reputation) of online reviews. In other words, the business could allow customers to post reviews based on the given frame such as templates of product aspects that could be valid and (e.g., accommodations, cleanliness, service satisfaction, hotel aesthetics, view) to submit useful product evaluations, such as hotel. For instance, the web evaluations have to provide thorough details, valid statements, and a short summary of the advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, a method for prosecuting offenders might be helpful in addressing the problems with spam, fake, or unreliable online reviews. Customers should be able to report any invalid, fraudulent and seeding reviews that distort the truths or being uninformative, inappropriate, or attach travel business/agencies should create award programs to frequently honor contribute high-quality reviews (based on number of reviews posted, rating votes by others) in order to boost the source (reviewer) credibility reputation. trustworthy customers who links. Moreover, in messages included virus the Normative impact also made a big difference in this study. The travel business/agencies could try to find ways to adapt and develop the normative aspects of the online reviews, making it easier for the the reviews’ potential customers credibility because, in addition to informational cues, these are also crucial for readers, even though travel companies could not directly exert manage and adjust over the content of normative information. Marketers (such as digital marketers) should create to perceive SCIENTIFIC CULTURE, Vol. 12, No 2.1, (2026), pp. 11378-11386 11384 TRAN, TUONG VI THI et al review-rating systems or show social data in a way for readers to make use of the normative information easily. Recommendation to this is to improve the rating system to allow high-quality reviews with several features which are perceived to be important to review readers. For example, people could mark scores on the argument strength of the review, usefulness, the level of understanding, and other just providing a general factors, rather evaluation score.

  THE EFFECT OF ONLINE REVIEWS ON PERCEIVED CREDIBILITY AND REVIEW ADOPTION OF CUSTOMERS: THE CASE OF TRAVELOKA VIETNAM · 2026 · DOI

• The study, it must be said, had certain shortcomings. The first was the potential for response bias. Users who were interested in online reviews may have been willing to read and complete the online survey, even though the survey was randomly spread to all members in different ages. Second, the questionnaire survey is limited to one travel e-commerce platform, Traveloka, with restriction to reviews in only one 5-star hotel. As a result, notice must be taken to avoid generalizing problems too far from the specifics of this study. However, the findings ought to be applicable and valid to other travel e-commerce platforms on the internet, particularly those with the same customer target as Traveloka. In the end, Cronbach's alpha for review the consistency, which recommended standard of 0.70, was 0.611. below is With a view to thriving and growing a travel ecommerce platform, it is crucial to figure out how customers regard the reliability of online reviews. This is due to the fact that a high degree of e-review credibility will increase the willingness to adopt the online comments and, in turn, will encourage customers to visit and search additional customers’ reviews. Besides, it increases the reviews’ values, which eventually support the customers when adopting the reviews. 7. RECOMMENDATION the company of In this study, the findings offer marketing practitioners or managers of e-commerce platforms, especially travel industry, with instructional ideas and suggestions for the factors affecting perceived ereview credibility. Particularly, the findings also indicate that among the different informational elements, argument strength and source reliability are the most important, and in line with other earlier research, to control the cognitive functions of the receivers. Hence, travel e-commerce platforms might concentrate on ways to raise the quality and source credibility (i.e., reputation) of online reviews. In other words, the business could allow customers to post reviews based on the given frame such as templates of product aspects that could be valid and (e.g., accommodations, cleanliness, service satisfaction, hotel aesthetics, view) to submit useful product evaluations, such as hotel. For instance, the web evaluations have to provide thorough details, valid statements, and a short summary of the advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, a method for prosecuting offenders might be helpful in addressing the problems with spam, fake, or unreliable online reviews.

  THE EFFECT OF ONLINE REVIEWS ON PERCEIVED CREDIBILITY AND REVIEW ADOPTION OF CUSTOMERS: THE CASE OF TRAVELOKA VIETNAM · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should focus on measuring the effectiveness of the AI tools and their ethical implications by ensuring that consumer trust is the top priority in this ever-changing digital environment Nicolescu and Tudorache (2022)Chatbots and virtual influencers are transforming social media marketing and customer engagement by providing brands more better and innovative ways to easily get in touch with their audience.

  SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING REDEFINED: THE ROLE OF CHATBOTS AND VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS IN AI-DRIVEN INFLUENCER MARKETING · 2026 · DOI

• Organizations should focus on creating relevant and personalized advertisements that are informative and not repetitive to avoid irritating consumers. They should actively engage with audiences through comments, messages, and interactive content to build trust and long-term loyalty. Encouraging satisfied customers to share reviews and testimonials helps promote positive word-of-mouth, while promptly addressing negative feedback maintains a strong brand image. Building an emotional connection further and through strengthens loyalty. Additionally, adopting a mobile- first strategy and using platforms like Facebook and authenticity storytelling [6] Outing, S. (2008). The social media bible: Tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. John Wiley & Sons. [7] Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizons, 52(4), 357–365. [8] Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing [9] Management. Pearson Education. Solomon, M. R. (2018). Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being. Pearson Education. Statista. (2023). Social media from usage https://www.statista.com worldwide.

  Consumer Perception of Brands Towards Social Media Marketing · 2026 · DOI

• Based on the empirical findings, the following recommendations are made for telecommunications firms, regulators, and marketing practitioners: 1. Telecommunication companies should shift from basic digital advertising to includes personalized SMS engagement-driven marketing strategies. This campaigns, interactive social media content, gamified promotions, and AI-driven recommendation systems that encourage continuous customer participation rather than passive exposure. 2. Firms should invest in advanced customer data analytics tools to better understand user behavior, preferences, and consumption patterns. This will enable highly targeted digital promotions that increase relevance, engagement, and conversion rates, ultimately improving sales performance. 3. Telecom operators should improve the functionality and user experience of their mobile applications by integrating features such as real-time usage tracking, personalized offers, self-service options, and instant feedback channels. A well- optimized mobile ecosystem strengthens customer engagement and brand loyalty. 4. Telecommunications firms should adopt an omnichannel marketing approach that integrates SMS, social media, websites, mobile apps, and physical customer service points. This ensures consistent messaging and seamless customer experience across all touchpoints, thereby enhancing engagement and sales outcomes. 5. Companies should establish structured systems for collecting and responding to customer feedback in real time. This includes chatbot systems, social media response teams, and interactive help centers. Active communication strengthens trust and deepens customer engagement. 6. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should encourage fair digital marketing practices by ensuring that telecom promotions are transparent, non- intrusive, and customer-friendly. Regulatory frameworks should also support innovation in digital service delivery while protecting consumer rights. 7. Telecom organizations should regularly train marketing and customer service staff on emerging digital marketing trends, customer engagement techniques, and data-driven decision-making to improve campaign effectiveness. 94 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Prof. R. Rena [South Africa] MEDITERRANEAN PUBLICATION AND RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL E-ISSN: 1115 - 8530 P-ISSN: 3026-8958 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL – FRBD VOL. 12 NO. 7 – APRIL, 2026 8. Beyond acquisition-focused promotion, firms should prioritize customer retention strategies such as loyalty rewards, data bonuses, and subscription upgrades to sustain long-term sales performance growth.

  DIGITAL PROMOTION, CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT, AND SALES PERFORMANCE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS: EVIDENCE FROM FCT ABUJA NIGERIA IN THE CONTEXT OF GLOBAL TRENDS · 2026 · DOI

• This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, the sample size was limited to 160 respondents, and most of the participants were students aged between 16 and 20 years. Due to this, the results may not fully represent the opinions and experiences of other demographic groups such as working adults, older consumers, or individuals with different income levels. The focus on a younger age group may influence the findings, as younger consumers may have different attitudes toward influencer marketing compared to other groups. Second, the study relied on self-reported data collected through questionnaires. This method may lead to response bias, as respondents might provide answers that they consider socially acceptable rather than their true thoughts or experiences. In addition, some respondents may have misunderstood certain questions, which could affect the accuracy of the data and the reliability of the results. Also the majority gender is comes from female. Finally, this study examined only selected variables, including trust, perceived effectiveness, perceived risk, and brand image. Other factors that may influence customer experience and satisfaction, such as content quality, or frequency of exposure were not included. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the supervisor for invaluable guidance, continuous support, and constructive feedback throughout the research process. Appreciation is also extended to the lecturers for their insightful comments and academic guidance. Special thanks are given to the group members for their cooperation, commitment, and valuable contributions which greatly facilitated the completion of this study. DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS The authors have declared no potential conflicts of interest concerning the study, authorship, and/or publication of this article. 226 Journal of the Community Development in Asia (JCDA) Vol. 9 No. 2, pp.217-229, May, 2026 E-ISSN: 2654-7279 P-ISSN: 2685-8819 https://www.ejournal.aibpmjournals.com/index.php/JCDA REFERENCES Abbasi, A., Hatami, A., & Ebrahimi, A. (2024). Presenting a model of marketing influencers in the social network: A case study of the fashion industry.

  The Double-Edged Sword of Influencer Marketing: Insights from Skincare and Makeup Brands · 2026 · DOI

• The qualitative design prioritizes depth over breadth, and the sample size of 104 interviews, despite achieving thematic saturation, restricts statistical generalizability. Subjectivity is introduced by the reliance on self-reported narratives, but it is mitigated by systematic categorization, peer debriefing, and triangulations. Application to other cultural or economic contexts may be restricted by the emphasis on social media users in India. The cross- sectional design may overlook the evolution of consumer attitudes in response to technological advancements, as it captures perceptions at a singular point in time. In order to validate the conceptual framework, future research should utilize quantitative methodologies and larger representative samples. Comparative research across sectors, https://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJMHRM 73 [email protected] Navigating the Trust–Misinformation Paradox: Consumer Perceptions of User Generated Content in India geographies, and emergent versus developed markets would enhance comprehension of the ways in which cultural norms and digital maturity influence UGC responses. Mixed-methods approaches could triangulate qualitative insights with experimental or survey-based evidence, while longitudinal designs could investigate the evolution of ethics, trust, and authenticity over time.

  NAVIGATING THE TRUST–MISINFORMATION PARADOX: CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS OF USER GENERATED CONTENT IN INDIA · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Digital Marketing and Social Media

• Doing Better at Doing Good: When, Why, and How Consumers Respond to Corporate Social Initiatives · California Management Review · 2004 · 1,679 citations
• Celebrity vs. Influencer endorsements in advertising: the role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit · International Journal of Advertising · 2019 · 1,083 citations
• Social media influencer marketing: A systematic review, integrative framework and future research agenda · International Journal of Consumer Studies · 2021 · 943 citations
• A review of research into automation in tourism: Launching the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in Tourism · Annals of Tourism Research · 2020 · 777 citations
• More than meets the eye: The functional components underlying influencer marketing · Business Horizons · 2020 · 721 citations
• Driving Brand Engagement Through Online Social Influencers: An Empirical Investigation of Sponsored Blogging Campaigns · Journal of Marketing · 2019 · 609 citations
• Trust me, trust me not: A nuanced view of influencer marketing on social media · Journal of Business Research · 2021 · 548 citations
• The commercialization of social media stars: a literature review and conceptual framework on the strategic use of social media influencers · International Journal of Advertising · 2020 · 535 citations
• Understanding influencer marketing: The role of congruence between influencers, products and consumers · Journal of Business Research · 2021 · 519 citations
• Social media marketing strategy: definition, conceptualization, taxonomy, validation, and future agenda · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · 2020 · 490 citations

Most recent work

• Emotional and cognitive mechanisms of eco-social receptivity: Exploring tourism brand e-vocacy in AI-enabled travel · Acta Psychologica · 2026
• Drivers of sponsored fashion haul viewers’ purchase intentions: a mixed-methods study of post characteristics, social media influencer characteristics, and haul viewers’ attributes · International Journal of Advertising · 2026
• Free and paid word-of-mouth from physical to digital, AI and beyond · Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · 2026
• Authenticity, memory, and destination attachment in street food tourism: The moderating effects of information quality in Vietnam · Tourism and Hospitality Research · 2026
• Generation Z vs. Millennials: divergent pathways from gratitude to psychological ownership and social media advocacy in luxury hotels · International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management · 2026
• The antecedents and consequences of perceived warmth and competence in the influencer context: human vs. virtual · Technology in Society · 2026
• Social media and employer branding: a systematic review of social media's role in shaping employer branding · Employee Relations · 2026
• Impact of influencer advertising related to body and diet on the self-perception of Peruvian minors · Communication & Society · 2026
• The Influence of Influencer Credibility, Message Personalization, and Brand Trust on Viral Marketing Intention of Local Fashion Brands on Social Media · Journal of Information System, Technology and Engineering · 2026
• The Impact of Gaming Influencers on Brand Trust Among Gen Z Gamers · INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT · 2026

Related topics in Social Sciences