The Role of Digital Influencers in the Diffusion of New Products

Öz

Social media created an entirely new type of influencers and changed the way for generating, collecting and sharing information and how people contribute to content. These influencers are called the “digital influencers” and they represent new type of opinion leaders with a huge potential of network and influential power over consumers. Their growing power is leading them to be gradually included in brand communication strategies with the aim of transmitting brand messages to target consumers.

In particular, many brands benefit from the huge influential power of this new group of opinion leaders for new product entries. This paper explains how digital influencers take place in diffusing brand messages for new product entries from the perspective of the ‘diffusion of innovations theory’ with an investigation directed to digital fashion influencers’ Instagram posts for new product entries. The research is a descriptive study and that utilize quantitative content analysis. Through an investigation of the verbal and visual texts of Instagram posts, this research seeks to understand the diffusion of new products through digital influencers. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Social media,brand communication,digital influencers,diffusion of innovations,new product entries

The Role of Digital Influencers in the Diffusion of New Products

Öz

Sosyal medya tamamen yeni bir ‘etkileyen’ grubu yaratmış, bilginin oluşum, erişim ve paylaşımını ve bireylerin içerik üretimine katılım şeklini değiştirmiştir. Bu yeni etkileyen grubu, “dijital etkileyenler” olarak adlandırılmakta, yüksek ağ potansiyelleri ve tüketicileri etkileme güçleri ile yeni bir fikir lideri grubunu temsil etmektedir. Dijital etkileyenlerin artan güçleri, giderek daha fazla markanın iletişim stratejilerinde, marka mesajlarının tüketicilere iletilmesi için kullanımlarını arttırmaktadır.

Birçok marka, bu yeni fikir lideri grubunun etki gücünden yeni ürün girişleri için faydalanmaktadır. Bu araştırmada dijital etkileyenlerin yeni ürün girişi sürecinde mesaj yayılımında nasıl bir rol aldığı, “yeniliklerin yayılımı” kuramı perspektifinden ve dijital moda etkileyenlerinin yeni ürün girişlerine yönelik Instagram paylaşımları aracılığıyla incelenmektedir. Bu betimsel araştırmada nicel içerik analizinden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırmada, dijital etkileyenler aracılığıyla yeni ürünlerin yayılımı, sözlü ve görsel metinler aracılığıyla analiz edilmiştir. 

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sosyal medya,marka iletişimi,dijital etkileyenler,yeniliklerin yayılımı,yeni ürün girişleri,Social media,brand communication,digital influencers,diffusion of innovations,new product entries

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