INFLUENCER AS A MODERN INITIATOR OF SOCIAL ACTIONS. CASE OF THE BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT
INFLUENCER AS A MODERN INITIATOR OF SOCIAL ACTIONS. CASE OF THE BODY POSITIVE MOVEMENT

Summary/Abstract: Objectives: The authors were inspired by the new phenomenon of socially responsible initiatives, created by pro-socially oriented influencers. Analysis of international reference books has revealed a research gap existing in this field. The area for the conducted studies was a conceptually separate part of the Instagram community, related to pro-social activities. Dichotomous purposes of the paper include: in the epistemological aspect: presentation of the theoretical dimension of the concept of influencer marketing and definition of a new category of social media influencers focusing their interests and activities in social media on social issues, in the empirical aspect: exemplification of the aforementioned phenomenon in pro-social activities of a Polish influencer who represents the international The Body Positive Movement. Material and methods: The studies were carried out primarily in a quality aspect. The Individual In-Depth Interview was conducted with one of the main representatives of the #bodypositive movement in Poland, who owns one of the most popular profiles of this movement on Instagram in Poland, @cialopozytyw_pol-ska. Internet content analysis and desk research were also conducted. Results: Unlike typical influencers on Instagram, the presented studies indicate the existence of niche initiatives among social media influencers providing prosocial profiles on Instagram. This category of social media influencers, described and conceptually distinguished, can be called pro-social influencers (pro-social SMI). From the perspective of premises of the Social Influence Theory, analysis of relations between the studied pro-social influencer and her followers showed establishment of particularly durable, emotionally-charged relationships among people with similar views and cherished values.

• Details
• Contents