• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2024

This study investigates the impact of mega-influencers and micro-influencers on consumer trust, brand attitude, and purchase intention within the beauty industry. Methods: A survey of 160 adults was conducted in March 2024, analyzing responses to the influence of a beauty mega-influencer ("Isa Bae") and a micro-influencer ("Day Beauty"). Participants were surveyed online over two weeks, and the data were analyzed using statistical tools to compare the influence of both types of influencers. Results: The results indicated that mega-influencers had a more substantial effect on reliability and brand attitude compared to micro-influencers, although both types of influencers significantly influenced purchase intentions. Influencer attractiveness and expertise emerged as critical factors in shaping consumer perceptions and behaviors. Conclusion: This study provides insights into optimizing influencer marketing strategies by leveraging the distinct characteristics and scales of influencers to enhance consumer engagement and brand loyalty. The findings underscore the importance of choosing the appropriate influencer type to maximize marketing effectiveness and consumer trust in the digital marketing landscape.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.200-211
• /
• 2021

This study examines the effects of fashion influencers' body types (realistic versus ideal body types) on self-expression, self-representation, and recommendation intentions, as mediated by familiarity toward influencers. Although fashion influencers lead to a positive consumer response compared to traditional advertisements, previous research on the effects of fashion influencers on consumers is limited. Thus, this study tests the role of consumers' socio-psychological aspects in understanding how and why fashion influencers affect consumers' behavioral intentions associated with self-expression, self-representation, and influencer recommendation. A total of 180 women in their 20s and 30s participated in the survey. The responses were collected after showing them stimuli featuring fashion influencers with either ideal or realistic body shapes. The data were analyzed using SPSS18.0 for descriptive statistics, and AMOS 18.0 for confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results showed that participants who were shown realistic body types perceived familiarity, which generated positive effects on self-expression, self-representation, and recommendation intentions. Hence, the effects of influencers' body types on recommendation intention are mediated by familiarity. Self-expression and self-representation intentions also increase influencer recommendation intention. Comparatively, participants who were shown ideal body types only induced higher self-representation intention, which increased their recommendation intention. The current findings can help fashion marketers select the appropriate influencers who fit their target customers as promotional models, as well as to induce changes in consumers' behavioral intention.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.152-161
• /
• 2023

Modern people live a life connected with the real world and the virtual world by relying on the new media of enterprises and social consumption led by innovative technologies. In this environment, virtual influencers actively communicate with consumers and build relationships through social media, which is a new marketing tool that has attracted widespread attention. From a business perspective, it is necessary to have a solid understanding of this phenomenon, and then explore communication strategies to effectively develop virtual influencers. To investigate followers' preference for virtual influencers, this study employs the Q-method, which studies human subjective attributes, an empirical research effort to uncover complex issues in human subjectivity. To determine the factors that trigger people's voluntary and active practice and the preference degree of virtual influencers, the Q method is implemented to examine human subjectivity, thoughts and attitudes. According to the results of this study, virtual influencers are a new group of idols full of vitality. The interviews found that there are still many virtual influencers who do not know about followers, but each type can be clearly understood through the intuitive understanding of the interviewees. Divided out, type 1 one egoideal virtual influencers aim to represent an idealized version of the creator or target audience. Embodies ideal physical characteristics, personality or lifestyle desired by the audience. Type 2 is charismatic and attractive, and has the characteristics of most virtual influencers. It is suggested that it can be developed into a potential type, doing brand cooperation, and content production on social media platforms. Type 3: Game animation, derived from the image of characters in games or comics, with stylized features and energetic personalities, which can be integrated into games or entertainment experiences. Type 4 development potential type is the most successful type among virtual imagers, and it is also the purpose of marketing virtual influencers. It is essential that brand endorsement on social media platforms, integrated marketing, and driving advertising traffic. It is recommended to improve production technology to reduce investment costs.

• International Journal of Contents
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.10-24
• /
• 2020

As many brands use social media influencers (SMIs) on Instagram to advertise, not disclosing advertised content affects how consumers perceive these influencers. The purpose of this study was to investigate two objectives: 1) recent advertising disclosure types on Instagram and 2) the factors that affect consumer responses towards Instagram influencers posting advertised content. Using an experimental 2x2 between-subjects design (N=200), the findings show that "sponsored" and "paid partnership with" are two recent types of ad disclosures. However, both factors are insignificantly different from each other. Also, ad disclosure condition enhances the trustworthiness of the influencer than no disclosure. Ad skepticism, source credibility, and the level of persuasion strongly relate to how consumers perceive Instagram influencers advertising for brands. These factors enable consumers to assess if the influencer is a reliable source of information when faced with advertisement. Ultimately, using disclosure gives full information to consumers about the persuasive intent, as well as increases positive consumer responses towards the influencer who discloses, thereby, enhancing the ethical use of the influencer advertising strategy and long-term consumer relationship.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2024

Virtual influencers, who are emerging as new players in digital marketing, impact consumers' purchase intentions. They promote positive perceptions and mimetic consumption of specific brands or products through interactions with followers. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of the characteristics of virtual influencers on the purchase intention for fashion products through the consumers' mimetic desire. As characteristics of virtual influencers, five factors were set: reality, attractiveness, professionalism, trustworthiness, and curiosity. Data for analysis were collected through an online questionnaire from the 8th to the 15th of August 2023, and 268 data points in total were analyzed using SPSS and Process Macro 4.3. The results of the study showed that the characteristics of virtual influencers all positively affected mimetic desire and purchase intention for fashion products. Moreover, it was found that mimetic desire has a mediating effect between the five characteristics of virtual influencers and the purchase intention for fashion products. Mimetic desire fully mediates the relationship between reality and the intention to purchase fashion products, and partially mediates the relationship between attractiveness, professionalism, trustworthiness, and curiosity and the purchase intention for fashion products. These findings further enhance the understanding of the relationship between virtual influencers and consumer behavior and identify the relationship between virtual influencers, mimetic desire, and fashion product purchase intentions. Consequently, leveraging virtual influencers strategically in digital marketing, the fashion industry can amplify positive brand perceptions, drive consumer engagement, and ultimately foster increased purchase intent.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 2023

This study confirmed how emotional responses toward virtual influencers affect advertising effectiveness. While prior studies have focused on the attributes of influencers, we examined how consumers' psychological reactions while experiencing virtual influencers affect decision-making. As a result of the study, consumers showed specific emotional responses while experiencing virtual influencers, and confident, neat, subtle, trendy, glamorous, simple, and down-to-earth were extracted as representative emotions. Additionally, it was confirmed that these emotional responses influenced brand attitude, purchase intention, and recommend intention. These research results provide practical implications for marketing communications using virtual influencers.

• Knowledge Management Research
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.41-57
• /
• 2020

This study investigates the posting strategies of influencers for sales: what kind of contents should the influencers provide and how? Influencers used to have seven days of advertising period before the event date (sales begins) and provide both (or either) commercial and (or) non-commercial contents. Some influencers have large number of followers, while others have very small followers. We empirically investigated whether the sequence of posting the commercial and non-commercial contents influence sales, and whether such effects are susceptible to the size of followers. Through the analysis of 1,153 events of 298 influencers on Instagram, we found that commercial contents are more important than non-commercial contents for both small and large influencers. In more detail, the quantity of commercial contents is very important for the large influencers, while the quality of commercial contents is important for small influencers.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.35-51
• /
• 2021

Purpose: As the digital environment has expanded opportunity for consumers to acquire information from social media and social network services(SNS), With this environment, influencer has not only promoted products, but also participated in distribution and influencing on their followers. Despite the increasing interest in influencers, there has not been enough research on the structure of fashion influencer, relationship of immersion and purchase intention. This study examined the effects of fashion influencers' characteristics to the immersion of relationship with followers and purchase intention. Research design, data and methodology: For data collection, a pilot survey and the final survey were conducted. The pilot survey data was conducted to 50 female SNS users following fashion influencers. Based on the pilot tests, questionnaire was revised and the final survey was conducted online from august 22 to September 1, 2019 to female SNS users who have followed fashion influencer. A total of 408 data were collected, and exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equational modeling techniques were employed for the data analyses using AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 26.0. Results: First, five factors were extracted for the fashion influencers' characteristics: interactivity, similarity, reliability, expertise and attractiveness. Second, fashion influences' reliability, expertise, similarity, interactivity have a positive (+) effects on relationship immersion; however, attractiveness has no effect on relationship immersion with followers and fashion influencer. It was also determined that relationship immersion had positive (+) influences on purchase intention. The relationship immersion has been found to have a partially mediated effect and similarity has complete mediated effects between interactivity, reliability, and expertise of fashion influencers and purchasing intentions. In terms of fashion opinion leadership, it was found to have a significant influence on purchase intention only for low fashion leadership groups. Conclusions: The present study found the structural relationships among the influencer characteristics, relationship immersion and purchase intentions to provide framework for succeeding research. This research revealed academic association of intention of purchasing through use of fashion social media and fashion influencer marketing. The results also showed the practical implications that fashion influencers' expertise and reliability perceived by their followers are key determinants to success in influencer marketing.

• The Journal of Information Systems
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.75-100
• /
• 2022

Purpose Recently, hyper-realistic virtual influencers have received much attention in the field of corporate marketing. However, there is a lack of research that suggests specific processes affecting behavioral intentions through trust and attachment between virtual influencers and consumers. In addition, previous studies have failed to consider the characteristics of hyper-realistic virtual influencers. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of trust and attachment to hyper-realistic virtual influencers on consumers' behavioral intentions based on the trust-building model. Design/methodology/approach Based on the previous research, seven antecedent factors for trust-building were derived: Reality, Attractiveness, Awareness, Interactivity, Professionalism, Social Presence, and Predictability. Next, the survey was conducted on Chinese people who had experienced interacting with hyper-realistic virtual influencers on social network services within the last 3 months at the time of data collection. A total of 326 respondents were used for the final analysis and hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model technique. Findings The results of this study are as follows. First, this study confirmed that reality, attractiveness, awareness, social presence, and predictability as antecedent factors for trust-building of hyper-realistic virtual influencers have a positive effect on trust. Second, this study confirmed that trust in hyper-realistic virtual influencers has a significant positive effect on attachment. Lastly, this study confirmed that trust and attachment to the hyper-realistic virtual influencer significantly and positively affect relationship retention and purchase intentions.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
• /
• v.18 no.5
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2019

This work tries to empirically validate the effect of influencers' product-usage videos upon brand attitude and purchase intention of consumers. More specifically, we choose 3 attributes of product-usage videos of influencers such as expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness from our literature review. We collect 200 survey questionnaires in 2019 using Google survey forms from subjects who have watched influencers' usage videos of fashion items. Our results suggest that expertise and trustworthiness of influencers' videos positively affect brand attitude of consumers, which in turn positively influence their purchase intention. However, we have not found significant effect of attractiveness of the videos upon brand attitude. We also confirm that brand attitude positively affect purchase intention as proposed in the literature. The practical implications of this work is that firms should focus and strengthen expertise and trustworthiness of videos rather than attractiveness in order to enhance purchase intention of consumers and eventually lead to their purchase behavior.