Claudia Smith

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Research Project

Fitness Influencer Marketing: Exploring the Impact of Body Image Representation

Bio

Hi! My name is Claudia Smith, and I’m a fourth-year Professional Communication student here at Toronto Metropolitan University. I am a creative, organized, and detail-oriented individual with extensive experience working in hospitality and communications. I have a passion for live entertainment and media relations, which I hope to pursue in the future. Additionally, I’m heavily involved in the fitness industry, which is why I decided to focus on fitness influencer marketing for my research project.

Research Summary

My research project explored the realm of fitness influencer marketing on Instagram, aiming to understand its impact on body image perceptions and consumer behaviour. Through a content analysis of posts from 25 prominent fitness influencers, I uncovered prevalent trends such as the portrayal of unrealistic body types and its relation to promotional content. These findings underscore the need for critical engagement with social media content and advocate for promoting authenticity, transparency, and supportive communities to foster a more positive online environment.

Research Poster

A detailed infographic by Claudia Smith, 'Fitness Influencer Marketing: Exploring the Impact of Body Image Representation'. The background states fitness influencers often portray idealized body types, amplifying body image concerns. The objective was to assess the extent of unrealistic body type content, body image prioritization over fitness content, and its relation to advertising. Methodology involved analyzing 10 recent posts from 25 fitness influencers. Results show a pervasive presence of unrealistic body depictions, with 70% of posts depicting unrealistic or extreme body types, and 61% prioritizing body image over fitness-related content. A scatter plot indicates a weak positive correlation between depicting extreme body types and promotional content. Conclusions call for ethical marketing, with recommendations including promoting authenticity, transparency, educational campaigns, regulatory guidelines, and supportive communities.

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