How Instagram Influencers Affect the Value Perception of Thai Millennial Followers and Purchasing Intention of Luxury Fashion for Sustainable Marketing

Akawut Jansom,Siwarit Pongsakornrungsilp

doi:10.3390/su13158572

Abstract

Social media influencers play a significant role in marketing by introducing products to their followers. We investigate how Instagram influencers impact consumer parasocial interaction (PSI) in the relationship between value perception and purchase intention. Whereas customers influence the attractiveness (social and physical) PSI of social media influencers, studies of the effects of luxury purchasing PSI in Thailand are limited. We examine the relationship between PSI and followers of luxury fashion’s value (social, personal, and conspicuous) on social media. We use structural equation modeling to evaluate hypotheses by conducting an online survey with 400 Thai millennial respondents who had experience following influencers on Instagram. The findings indicate that Thai millennials accept Instagram influencers’ PSIs in terms of value perception and motivation to purchase luxury fashion. The attractiveness of influencers initiates the formation of PSI; followers receive value perception and react to purchasing intention from influencers. The concepts were investigated to prove that influencers’ power can encourage followers to mitigate negative consequences by delivering value perceptions on PSI. These findings provided managerial implications for comprehending consumers in the field of digitalization.

Highlights

Influencers are being employed by managers to create emotional relationships with consumers through digital marketing [1]
The findings indicate that Thai millennials accept Instagram influencers’ parasocial interaction (PSI) in terms of value perception and motivation to purchase luxury fashion
We aimed to identify the factors affecting Instagram influencers that motivate consumers’ PSIs and to examine the relationship of PSI with value perceptions of luxury fashion on consumers’ purchasing intention [15]

Summary

Introduction

Influencers are being employed by managers to create emotional relationships with consumers through digital marketing [1]. Celebrities, professional sports players, and so on, have employed social media to build strong relationships with their customers or fans [5,6]. They influence the consumption patterns of consumers in different product categories, including services [7]. E.g., Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, play an important role in driving the PSI process between media personalities and consumers [6], which provides an opportunity for marketing scholars to understand how social media can motivate consumers’ PSIs

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Conclusion