From perceived healthiness to acceptance: How influencer type shapes consumer acceptance of insect-based foods

Given the rise of influencer marketing in the food sector and the ongoing challenge of promoting consumer acceptance of insect-based foods, this research investigated how influencer type (health-focused vs. indulgence-focused) affects consumer acceptance and identified underlying psychological mechanisms and boundary conditions. Across three experiments, endorsements from health-focused influencers consistently enhanced consumers' perceptions of the healthiness of insect-based foods, which in turn significantly increased their acceptance. In contrast, perceived tastiness did not significantly differ by influencer type and did not mediate the overall effect, although it consistently emerged as a stronger predictor of acceptance than perceived healthiness. Moderated mediation analyses further revealed that the positive indirect effect of health-focused influencers on consumer acceptance via enhanced healthiness perceptions was more pronounced for hedonic (vs. utilitarian) insect-based foods. Moreover, this indirect effect was significant only among individuals with high health consciousness and no prior experience with consuming such products. While the mediating role of perceived tastiness was consistently insignificant, the impact of perceived tastiness on acceptance was significantly weaker among highly health-conscious consumers and stronger among those with prior experience consuming insect-based foods. By contrast, no significant moderating effects were observed for food neophobia or disgust toward entomophagy. • Health-focused influencers boost acceptance via increased healthiness perception. • Tastiness perception predicts acceptance but is not influenced by influencer type. • The positive effect is more pronounced for hedonic insect-based foods. • The positive effect is significant for health-conscious, inexperienced consumers. • Food neophobia and disgust show no moderating effects on influencer impact.