TY - JOUR
TI - Animals like us. Pet influencers and personal brand – introductory remarks
AU - Kosińska, Olga
TI - Animals like us. Pet influencers and personal brand – introductory remarks
AB - Pet influencers have been an increasingly important element of the online landscape for some time now. Posts published in their name on social media generate huge attention and develop a high numer of followers. In this context, the question arises whether the current definitions of the terms “influencer”and “personal brand” include non-human entities such as animals or virtual influencers? On the one hand, actions taken, for example, by owners on behalf of their pets are aimed at “giving them a voice”. On the other hand, it is not entirely possible, and ultimately the brand created around pets is a kind of resultant of the beliefs and values of the animal’s guardians and what the animal itself seems to convey through its actions and reactions. Based on the analysis of the content of pet influencers on Instagram, this text attempts to determine the models of the brand appropriate for animal profiles in social media. Five of them are distinguished – animals that create “their own corner”on the Internet, animals as alternative voices of their owners, anthropomorphized animals, involved in the area of fashion and random stars. At the present stage, it seems that although such pets can be called influencers, in terms of personal brand, the current definitions should be extended to include non-human entities. Internet activities do not currently allow pets to emancipate and develop independence from human control combined with care.
VL - 2023
IS - Vol. 11, Issue 4
PY - 2024
C1 - 2354-0214
SP - 361
EP - 378
DO - 10.4467/23540214ZM.23.025.20056
UR - https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/zarzadzanie-mediami/article/zwierzeta-takie-jak-my-pet-influencers-a-marka-osobista-uwagi-wstepne
KW - influencers
KW - pet influencers
KW - personal branding
KW - animals
KW - social media