When influencers make us feel better: How upward comparison emotions shape well-being?

Influencer marketing can improve conversion rates while intensifying upward social comparison, which potentially causes feelings of guilt and regret and reduced consumer welfare. Nevertheless, little is known about when such marketing campaigns promote or impair perceived well-being in the context of sustainable consumption. This study aims to address this issue. A mixed method design combines a survey with follow-up interviews to achieve quantitative–qualitative triangulation. In study 1, results show that interactivity and social power mainly enhance upward assimilative emotions, while social comparison orientation distinctively fosters either upward assimilative or contrastive emotions; upward assimilative emotions enhance impulse buying, while upward contrastive emotions inhibit it; and impulse buying further significantly improves hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. In particular, ability-based social comparison orientation moderates the negative link between upward contrastive emotions and impulse buying. In study 2, qualitative research results explain the quantitative study's findings and reveal other topics worthy of further exploration. The results provide practical guidance for designing influencer content and communication strategies that foster favorable comparison-based emotions, thereby supporting conversion while remaining attentive to consumer well-being.