Abstract
Influencer marketing has evolved over the past few years, shifting from the conventional way of celebrity endorsement to a data-driven digital world. A systematic review has outlined the history of influencer marketing from the early days of the use of traditional mass media to development of social media platforms, the development of micro and nano Influencer marketing, and the different perceptions about authenticity and trust in consumer.
This study focuses on 37 peer-reviewed articles and books published between 1956 and 2025 from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Emerald Insight, ScienceDirect and Taylor & Francis. Studies shows major changes in Influencer Marketing; these changes include development of strategies, audience engagement and technologies. Early Influencer Marketing developed through celebrity-based visibility with cultural prestige, whereas the current trending strategies increasingly use algorithm to engage their audience and create their content with Influencers and an audience defined the practice. Looking into the future, trends such as hyper-personalization, decentralized creator economy and immersive experiences with Augmented Reality(AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) technology are likely to define the future of influencer marketing in general. However, this review provides detailed understanding for the way influencer marketing has managed changes with respect to culture, technology, and economics.
Date Received
February 1, 2026
Date Revised
September 28, 2026
Date Accepted
October 7, 2026
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Yesmin, Raisha and Goswami, Chandan
(2024)
"Influencer Marketing Through the Decades: Evolution and Future Pathways,"
Markets, Globalization & Development Review:
Vol. 11:
No.
1, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/mgdr/vol11/iss1/3
Included in
Advertising and Promotion Management Commons, Communication Commons, E-Commerce Commons, Management Information Systems Commons, Marketing Commons
Author Bio
Raisha Yesmin is a PhD research scholar in the Department of Business Administration at Tezpur University, Assam. Her academic background includes MBA in Marketing from the National Institute of Technology, Silchar, and a BTech in Food Engineering and Technology from Tezpur University, Assam. Her research focuses on consumer behaviour, technology adoption, and digital marketing.
Chandan Goswami is a Professor in the Department of Business Administration at Tezpur University. His research interests include sustainable tourism, marketing, and community development. His research aims to make a positive impact on regional development and foster collaboration between industry and academia.