Advantaging Tourism Through Influencers: Applying Transaction Cost Theory to Recognize Top Hero, Hub, and Hygiene Content Tactics for Tourism Marketing
Abstract
This study is the first to apply transaction cost theory to identify optimal influencer marketing strategies for the tourism sector through three content types: hero, hub, and hygiene content. Transaction cost theory posits that stakeholders seek to minimize information search and delivery costs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with different experienced level tourists to measure the effect of influencer attributes and content on inspiration levels. The findings indicate that differentiating content based on targeted personas minimizes transaction costs. Hero content highly motivated specific tourist personas to visit destinations. Hub content provided practical trip planning details. Hygiene content addressed fundamental customer concerns. By framing influencer marketing through the lens of transaction cost economics, this study contributes to the literature by tailoring influencer content (hero, hub, and hygiene content) to meet the specific needs of tourist personas, which managerially can optimize credibility and value while reducing tourism stakeholders’ information search and delivery costs.
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The literature is yet to quantify information processing and decision-making factors across iterative customer journeys.
“While there is some evidence linking TSMIs to information processing and decision-making (e.g.Han and Zhang 2023;Saleh 2023;Kılıç et al. 2024), the literature is yet to quantify these factors across iterative customer journeys.”
From Influencers and the choice of a travel destination: A customer journey and information processing perspective (2025) · cites this paper as Saleh 2023
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- Authors
- Saleh, M. I.
- Affiliations
- St Petersburg University (RU)
- Corresponding author
- Saleh, Mahmoud Ibraheam
- Venue
- Journal of Travel Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2023-12-12
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 408-426
- ISSN
- 0047-2875 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-6763
- OpenAlex
- W4389616119
- Cited by
- 15
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2
- FWCI
- 6.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Travel Research (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- saint petersburg state university (EGY-0026/20.)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Digital Marketing and Social Media
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Marketing and Advertising Strategies
- Keywords
- influencer marketing, transaction cost economics, tourism marketing, information search costs, influencer credibility, trip planning
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