The rosy world of influencer marketing? Its bright and dark sides, and future research recommendations

This review article offers insights into the current issues in influencer marketing. We first provide a historical overview of extant research that mainly focuses on its bright side, and then highlight the dark side of influencer marketing, from the perspectives of both followers and influencers. Such as, influencers may harm followers’ physical health and psychological well-being by flaunting idealized images, glamorous lifestyles, and unhealthy food choices. However, despite their fancy lifestyles, influencers may suffer from a continuous search for likes and followers, as well as giving up much of their privacy in return for commercial success. Some of these dark sides (influencer perspective) are currently underexposed in the literature. This article paves the path for more nuanced future research that focuses on the bright and dark sides of influencer marketing.