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ASEAN Marketing Journal

Abstract

Manuscript type: Review Paper. Research Aims: This study aims to examine the role of social media influencers in shaping contemporary brand communication strategies and to identify the opportunities and challenges associated with influencer marketing practices. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a semi-systematic literature review approach by analyzing previous studies related to influencer marketing, brand communication, customer engagement, and consumer behavior across digital platforms. Research Findings: The findings indicate that brands strategically select influencers whose personal branding aligns with the company’s values and identity to enhance customer engagement and brand perception. Long-term collaborations between brands and influencers are also found to strengthen communication effectiveness. However, several challenges persist, including fake followers, regulatory compliance issues, content saturation, brand–influencer misalignment, ethical concerns regarding transparency, and difficulties in measuring return on investment (ROI). Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study contributes to the growing literature on influencer marketing by providing a comprehensive synthesis of how social media influencers shape modern brand communication strategies and highlighting key issues affecting their effectiveness. Practitioner/Policy Implication: The study suggests that brands should prioritize authenticity, establish long-term influencer partnerships, and maintain transparent communication practices. Additionally, marketers are encouraged to develop more reliable metrics to evaluate influencer marketing performance. Research limitation/Implications: This study is limited to secondary data derived from previous literature and does not include empirical validation. Future studies are recommended to explore quantitative or mixed-method approaches to measure influencer marketing effectiveness across industries and social media platforms. Keywords: Social media influencers, brand communication, digital marketing, consumer behavior, influencer marketing

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