This research proposal is intended to explore the strategy-oriented decision problem of "the flow of effect that influencer scandals have on consumers' perception of a brand." With influencer marketing on the rise as the most used form of social media advertising, how do consumers perceive brands through influencers? Do influencers have power over a consumer's perception of a brand as a result of a scandal? Are the motivations of an influencer enough to affect consumers purchasing behaviours?

Whilst there is research on brand scandals directly affecting consumers perceptions such as research on CSR and consumer perception on corporations by Kimm, Hur, Yeo (2015), the source effect by Peter Steyn et al (2015) and the brand-love perspective by Albert and Merunka (2013) there seems to be a lack of studies that explore the effect that influencers have on consumers perception of a brand.