THE EFFECT OF SELF-CONGRUENCE ON PURCHASE INTENTION IN INFLUENCER MARKETING: MEDIATING ROLE OF PARA-SOCIAL INTERACTION

Abstract

RRecently, the advances in communication technologies have allowed social media influencers to develop close relationships with their followers, and also such relationships carry important marketing implications for social media influencers (SMI) and brands. The aim of current study is examining the mediation effect of parasocial relationship among the ideal self-congruity and actual self-congruity and purchase intention. Also, meaningful differences related to parasocial relationship between the users and non-users of social media types were examined. Data were collected from the sample consisted of 226 consumers using social media who were older than 18 age. A partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the hypotheses suggested in the structural model. Differences analyses were tested with non-parametric Mann Whitney U test. The results indicated that parasocial relationship mediates the relationship among actual self -ideal self-congruity and purchase intention. Also, it is found that the differences of parasocial relationship levels between users and non-users of Tik Tok and SnapChat were statically significant whereas not significant for Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords

• influencer marketing
• self congruity
• purchase intetion
• social media influencers
• parasocial interaction

SOSYAL MEDYA FENOMENİ PAZARLAMASINDA BENLİK UYUMU ALGISININ SATIN ALMA NİYETİ ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ: PARA-SOSYAL ETKİLEŞİMİN ARACILIK ROLÜ

Abstract

Teknolojinin gelişmesiyle sosyal medya mecralarında yaşanan dönüşüm sosyal medya fenomenlerine (SMF) kullanıcılarıyla yakın ilişkiler geliştirmesine olanak sağlamıştır. Para sosyal ilişki olarak adlandırılan bu ilişki tüketici davranışlarını yönlendirmesi açısından markalar ve işletmeler için önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmada tüketici ile SMF arasında gelişen para sosyal ilişkinin gerçek benlik uyumu ile ideal benlik uyumunun satın alma niyetindeki ilişkisindeki aracılık etkisi ele alınmıştır. Bununla birlikte tüketicilerin para sosyal ilişki düzeyinin kullanılan sosyal medya türüne göre farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığı araştırılmıştır. Çalışma nicel araştırma yöntemi ile yapılmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemini 18 yaş ve üstü sosyal medya kullanan tüketiciler oluşturmakta kolayda örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çevrimiçi anket tekniği ile 226 örnek birime ulaşılmıştır. Veriler kısmi en küçük kareler yapısal eşitlik modellemesi (Smart PLS) kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Farklılık analizleri Mann Whitney U testi ile analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda para sosyal etkileşimin benlik uyumu türleri (gerçek ve ideal benlik) ile satın alma niyeti arasında aracılık etkisi olduğu bulunmuştur. Bununla birlikte Tik Tok ve SnapChat kullanan tüketicilerin para sosyal ilişki düzeylerinde anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook kullanıcılarının olmadığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Çalışma sonuçları ile ilgili kuram geliştiricilere ve uygulayıcılara öneriler sunulmuştur.

Keywords

• fenomen pazarlama
• satınalma niyeti
• Sosyal medya fenomenleri
• benlik uyumu
• parasosyal etkleşim

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