Reimagining Service Marketing in the Age of Influencers and Virtual Voices
DETAILS
Call for Papers
Reimagining Service Marketing in the Age of Influencers and Virtual Voices
Journal:Services Marketing Quarterly
Manuscript deadline: 31 August 2026
This special issue focuses on how human and virtual influencers are transforming service marketing, especially via social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, WeChat, and Snapchat. It looks at how influencers shape communication, trust, engagement, and service experiences, and calls for both conceptual and empirical work on these dynamics in different service contexts.
Special Issue Editors
Dr Saloomeh Tabari, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University
Dr Yan Sun, Oxford Brookes University
Dr Qing Shan Ding, Leeds Beckett University
Illustrative topics
Effectiveness of influencer marketing for intangible services
Micro vs. macro-influencers in niche services
Cultural and geographic dynamics of influencer acceptance and rejection
Influencers’ roles in service failures and recoveries
Influencer marketing for start-ups
Ethical and regulatory challenges
Virtual influencers in services
Wellness influencers in healthcare and finfluencers in financial services
Innovative methodologies for studying influencer-driven service marketing
Submission details & timeline
Extended abstract (2,000 words) due 15 February 2026, emailed as a Word document (including references and author bios) to all three editors.
Editors provide feedback by 15 March 2026.
Full paper (max ~25 pages) due 31 August 2026 via the journal’s online submission system, following Services Marketing Quarterly author guidelines.
Invitation to submit a full paper does not guarantee publication; all full papers undergo peer review.
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