From Endorsers to Entrepreneurs: How Influencer Self-Branding Shapes Authenticity Through Perceived Involvement and Profit-Seeking via a Warranting Perspective

With the advent of social media, influencers are leveraging unprecedented opportunities to build personal brands and engage in entrepreneurial ventures beyond third-party endorsements. Through two experiments conducted in sport and lifestyle contexts, we examine how third-party endorsing and self-branding affect consumer perceptions of involvement, profit-seeking, and authenticity, ultimately shaping support intentions via a warranting perspective. Our findings suggest that social media influencers’ self-branding functions as a dual-valence warranting cue: while it increases perceptions of profit-seeking and reduces authenticity, it simultaneously enhances authenticity through perceived involvement. This study contributes to warranting theory by proposing stake magnitude as a crucial dimension to consider when explaining and predicting how consumers evaluate information beyond the source’s perceived control and self-interest. From a practical perspective, our findings indicate that self-branding can maintain authenticity despite its strong commercial intent. By strategically emphasizing their dedication, commitment, and accountability in their own-branded products, influencers can effectively leverage self-branding to seize entrepreneurial opportunities and diversify their revenue streams.