September 26th, 2022, Janice Fernandes
Collaborating with influencers is one of the most popular ways for a brand to expand its reach on social media. But are fitness influencers as popular as, say, fashion or beauty influencers?
In this article we ask consumers in Great Britain and the United States whether they use fitness influencers as a benchmark for their own looks or performance – and whether influencers affect the way they buy dietary supplements.
Latest data from YouGov Profiles reveals that a plurality of consumers in both markets who have used social media in the last month say they don’t compare themselves to fitness influencers on social media. More than four five Britons disagree with the statement (81%), and slightly fewer, but still a large majority of Americans share the same opinion (79%).
Unsurprisingly, younger consumers are more likely to compare their fitness levels/looks with influencers on social media. The figure of those who disagree is still higher than those who agree across all age groups of Britons. However, Americans aged between 18 to 24 who've used social media in the last month are slightly more likely to say they compare themselves to fitness influencers (49% agree vs. 46% disagree).
Breaking the data down by gender, US men (19%) are more likely than women (12%) to compare their level of fitness with influencers. Among 25-34-year-olds, around half of American men (50%) try to live up to the standards of influencers, compared to 32% women.
In Britain, however, younger women (38% of 18-24-year-olds) are significantly more likely than men (21% of 18-24-year-olds) to agree with the statement.
Marketers will be interested to know that despite relatively high proportions of consumers who take note of fitness influencers, it may not be sufficient for them to be parted with their money when it comes to buying dietary supplements.
Consumers in both markets are more likely to purchase dietary supplements based on value for money (26% US; 16% GB) and price (23% US; 19% GB) over influencer recommendation. While brand recognition plays an important role in the US (21%), personal research is the next most likely reason for Britons to purchase a particular brand (16).
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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for US and Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.