The effect of autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) messages on consumer brand perceptions and intentions

For the past 10 years, a new genre of media content called ASMR has been growing rapidly in popularity. ASMR is described as a pleasurable tingling sensation usually triggered by different audio‐visual signals, performed by so‐called ASMRtists. These triggers have been shown to lead to increased parasocial identification with ASMRtists as well as a stronger commitment to their marketing messages. Yet so far, the effectiveness of ASMR marketing has not been directly compared to the effectiveness of typical influencer marketing. Using two consecutive 2 × 2 experiments among 408 consumers, this study compares the effect of a sponsorship message of two ASMRtists with two YouTube influencers. The results show that ASMR can be induced even by short, sponsored messages and that it positively influences the perception of both the advertised brand and the ASMRtist presenting it. Hence, ASMRtists are suitable brand ambassadors for marketers looking to reach an underserved online community.