Influencer Marketing as an Effective Marketing Tool in the Conditions of Selected Regions of Central and Eastern Europe

Influencer marketing is on the rise and more and more brands try to establish cooperation with influencers in order to achieve some business goals in the e-commerce sector. In this study, we analyze influencer marketing in terms of its effectiveness as a marketing channel supporting e-business goals. Moreover, we identified differences in terms of gender and age. The aim of this chapter is to point out the most suitable segments for employing influencer marketing. Our study is of a quantitative nature and works with a base of 709 respondents from selected regions of Central and Eastern Europe. In the analysis, we used the Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon W test, and Chi-squared test. Data were collected using an online questionnaire during the second quarter of 2020. The results pointed to the existence of statistically significant differences both in the case of gender and age of the respondents. Furthermore, we identified the most appropriate segment for employing influencer marketing and compared our findings with selected existing studies in the field. In the end, we also pointed out the limitations of the study and its potential future direction. The study’s practical implications lie in better-informed marketing managers who decide on marketing strategies. Based on the results, managers will be able to decide whether it is beneficial for them to allocate human and financial resources and time for this purpose.