IShowSpeed's China Tour: Analysis of Social Media Influencer Marketing Strategies and Effects in Cross-Cultural Communication

Abstract

In the era of global digitalization, social-media influencer marketing has become a central tool in cross-cultural communication. However, existing research often focuses on strategy effectiveness within a single cultural context, leaving cross-cultural scenarios underexplored. This paper takes the 2025 China tour of IShowSpeed as a case study to systematically examine influencer marketing strategies and effects in cross-cultural communication. The study finds that the tour used four major strategies — content localization, sustaining an authentic persona, showcasing real scenarios, and cross-platform dissemination — and that these strategies produced mixed (both positive and negative) outcomes in a cross-cultural setting. Based on the analysis, the paper offers practical implications for tourism destinations seeking to leverage influencer marketing more effectively.