The impact of digital influencers on product/service purchase decision
making – A case study of Portuguese people
Abstract
The growing use of technology and social media has resulted in the
emergence of digital influencers, a new profession capable of changing
the mentalities and behaviours of those who follow them. This study
arises to better understand the potential impact digital influencers
might have on the Portuguese population’s purchase behaviour and
patterns, and for this purpose, seven hypotheses were formulated. An
online questionnaire was conducted to respond to these theoretical
assumptions and collected data from 175 respondents. A total of 129
valid answers were considered. It was possible to conclude that purchase
intention does not necessarily translate into a purchase action. It was
also concluded that the relationship between social network use and the
purchase of products/services recommended by influencers is only
significant for Instagram. Furthermore, individuals’ Generation is not
significantly linked with purchasing a product/service recommended by
influencers. Furthermore, a small percentage of respondents have also
identified themselves as impulsive shoppers and perceived Instagram as
their favourite social network. With the results of this study, it is
also possible to state that the influencer’s opinion was classified as
the last factor considered in the purchase decision process.
Additionally, there is a weak negative association between purchasing a
product/service recommended by influencers with sponsorship disclosure
and remunerated partnership, which decreases credibility and discourages
purchasing.