INFLUENCER MARKETING AND HEALTHCARE: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS
Abstract
Recently, there has been a decline in the effectiveness of traditional marketing approaches amidst the growth of the global influencer marketing market. This article summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scholarly discussion on influencer marketing over the past 12 years. The main goal of the research is to understand the content and characteristics of existing studies in the field of influencer marketing to determine the direction of future research for both academics and practitioners. The relevance is due to the fact that while the use of influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular and covers more and more areas, it remains under-researched in healthcare. The study was conducted in the following sequence: determining the influence of journals, authors, and articles on influencer marketing, analyzing keywords, identifying marketing clusters, and analyzing the evolution of research direction changes. The object of the study is 563 relevant works published in various scientific sources between 2014 and 2025. 68% of the works on influencer marketing were published over the last three years, with only 6.9% of the sample directly related to the healthcare sector and related disciplines. The most influential journals regarding influencer marketing were found to be «International Journal of Advertising», «Journal of Business Research», «Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services», and in healthcare – «International Journal of Consumer Studies». The most influential authors regarding influencer marketing are Hudders L., Lou C., Farivar S., and in healthcare – Christiansen P. Most articles were published by researchers from the USA, China, India, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and concerning influencer marketing in healthcare – India, the United Kingdom, and the USA. Five key clusters were identified in influencer marketing: 1) influence, trust, and consumer behavior; 2) interaction, platforms, and demographics; 3) strategy, user engagement, and digital advertising; 4) social influence, brands, and sustainability; 5) artificial intelligence and virtual influencers. Influencer marketing research is developing actively and dynamically, shifting from traditional psychological aspects to technological, socially-oriented, and highly specialized topics over the past few years. Areas for future research may include artificial intelligence and virtual influencers, using TikTok for generation Z reach, marketing strategy, and user engagement. The results of this study can be useful to academics and marketers for developing more targeted and effective marketing strategies, and to specialists in healthcare institutions for studying successful cases and implementing influencer marketing in their activities.
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