Bloggers vs. Influencers. Can my next meal really be influenced by anyone? A study on the effects of digital platforms and review valence on consumers’ attitudes, perceived credibility and purchase intentions in regards to choosing a restaurant.

people’s buying intentions. Furthermore, it allows for a comparison with blogs that were proven to be highly influential a few years ago. Can Instagram replace them in the eye of the consumers? How easy and how fast the digital world is changing and what could be the next influential platform? The platform that can affect behaviours and attitudes of consumers towards products and services, and especially in the restaurant industry. Nowadays, there is more and more content related to restaurants, food and the hospitality industry. This content is usually in form of online reviews. Even though the recommendations are shared in the online environment, they have the power to influence consumers in their decision to visit a restaurant. More precisely, they have the power to shift opinions and to shape consumers’ attitude, trust and intentions of purchase. The purpose of the study is to answer these questions in the context of investigating the effect of the valence and the platform of the review. Furthermore, the focus is on the two platforms (Instagram and personal blog) and the comparison between their effects on the dependent test variables. The research study implements a 2x4 experimental design, gathering results with an online questionnaire. When referring to the results of the research paper, some were predicted and some were unexpected, but all of them provide important insights into the chosen subject. The results of the study bring clarity in the way online reviews can be managed by restaurant owners and how social media should be addressed and viewed in this digital era, to benefit businesses. In terms of scientific relevance, the findings provide some interesting information on how the power of Instagram is greater than the power of blogs. Therefore, concepts of influencers and bloggers are also discussed in connection to the research framework. Furthermore, the findings related to the valence of the review bring interesting perspectives. For most hypotheses, balanced reviews are not proven to be more credible and persuasive than negative reviews, neither increasing consumers’ attitudes. However, balanced reviews are considered to be the most credible, while positive reviews the most persuasive.