Gauging the Impact of Social Media Influencers on Brand Reputation and Purchase Intent

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to explore the reach that social media influencers have on consumers and their purchasing processes. Specifically, the variables observed are brand equity with respect to brand reputation and purchase intent. Auxiliary variables such as generational differences, platform prominence variances, and attitudes towards personally known influencers were also taken into consideration during this study. These aforementioned variables were studied through an online survey distributed across multiple social media platforms. The respondents were asked a combination of quantitative and qualitative questions, with an emphasis on qualitative responses to gauge consumer attitudes. It was found that social media influencers have positive impacts on both purchase intent and brand reputation. The extent of this positive correlation depends directly on the individual influencer. This study also revealed that Instagram is the most prominent influencer platform for reaching the target demographic, younger generations. Additionally, the general consensus towards newly deemed, personally known influencers was that their content was no longer enjoyable. The implications of these findings not only aid businesses attempting new marketing techniques but also marketers in their analysis of social media and influencer impact.