Just the right push! Social Media as a Therapeutical catalyst: The impact of influencers’ motivational (vs. Neutral) communication on healthy consumption

Social media influencers (SMIs) today play a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviors: This influential capacity presents a unique opportunity to channel efforts towards promoting conscious consumption patterns, exemplified by choices that prioritize health and well-being. Coherently, literature delved into the exploration of how influencers' “way to do”, could significantly impact consumer consumption behaviors. Through a preliminary investigation and a main study based on an experiment conducted among a sample of 467 participants, this paper examines the effects of the SMIs motivational communication tone of voice (vs. neutral) on consumers' responses in terms of healthy consumption behaviors. Results demonstrate that the motivational tone of voice doesn't directly impact consumers' willingness to buy healthy food. However, it becomes significant due to the mediating role of connectedness with the influencer - hinging on consumers' sense of connection with their favorite SMIs. Notably, this effect is magnified for those with lower health consciousness levels, while it is not significant for those with higher health consciousness, indicating how such a motivational tone of voice may be perceived as annoying and disturbing. Implications for marketing and communication campaigns incentivizing healthy consumption are discussed.