| Abstract [eng] |
The main objective of this master's thesis is to determine the influence of social media influencers recommendations on the social network Instagram on consumers intentions to purchase wellness products. The thesis consists of three parts: a literature review, research methodology, and analysis of empirical results. The literature review examines the role of social media influencers in marketing, types of classification, personal characteristics (trustworthiness, attractiveness, competence, homophily), and characteristics of recommendations (authenticity, informativeness, entertainment value, parasocial relationships), and consumer purchase intent is analyzed based on information adoption theory. It was also identified that the health product market is characterized by increasing consumer awareness, and Instagram is a suitable platform for researching the influence of recommendations due to its visuality, interactivity, and widespread use in Lithuania. Based on the analysis and information reception theory, a research model was developed and 23 hypotheses were formulated, including moderation hypotheses. The survey used validated scales from previous research. The results of the empirical study showed that the personal characteristics of social media influencers significantly influence consumers' attitudes toward opinion leaders, while the characteristics of recommendations influence consumers' perceived need for and usefulness of recommendations. The strongest factors determining the intention to buy were consumers' attitudes towards the opinion leader and the recommendation. The moderation hypotheses were not confirmed – the type of audience gathering had an insignificant effect on the relationships under investigation. After analyzing the results, conclusions and suggestions for health product marketers and recommendations for further research are presented. |
