Competence is power: How digital influencers impact buying decisions in B2B markets

In B2B markets, vendor companies increasingly rely upon influential individuals in the digital environment to communicate information about their offerings client organizations. Given growing engagement, cues that help differentiate highly impactful influencers are crucial for companies. Drawing from Stereotype Content Model, we analyze competence and warmth as relevant of influencers. Employing experimental studies, examine how influence purchasing managers' evaluation selection vendors' solutions. We find influencers' enhances intention buy advocated vendor's offering. When compared with warmth, minimizes capability relational concerns associated purchase decision. Further, show such effect is prominent when manager-influencer identification low. Our research advances knowledge on characteristics shape vendors. identify concern-based psychological mechanisms underlying characteristics, related boundary conditions. findings provide implications seeking expand reach marketing agencies