Spheres of Influence : How Influencers Impact Society

Mardon, Rebecca and Cocker, Hayley and Daunt, Kate and Kozinets, Robert (2026) Spheres of Influence : How Influencers Impact Society. Journal of Business Research. ISSN 0148-2963 (In Press)

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Abstract

Influencers have become central to contemporary marketing, yet their impact extends far beyond brand preferences and purchase decisions. This special issue editorial introduces the Spheres of Influence framework, which conceptualises influencers’ impact across four interconnected spheres of society: (1) consumption and markets, (2) culture and identity, (3) power and politics, and (4) health and well-being. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, including the 14 articles in this special issue, we synthesise evidence of influencers’ diverse, complex, and often contradictory implications for each sphere, highlight knowledge gaps, and identify future research directions. In doing so, we emphasise the importance of recognising how market actors within the broader influencer ecosystem (e.g., consumers, brands, social media platforms, influencer marketing platforms, regulators) shape influencers’ implications for society. Together, this editorial and the papers published in this special issue aim to broaden marketing scholarship’s engagement with influencers’ multifaceted and far-reaching societal impact.