The impact of social media influencers on consumers’ purchase intention of domestic brands

: the Portuguese context

Abstract

In an era of globalization, the diffusion of information allows consumers to have vaster options on their purchasing decisions, having access to foreign brands in local markets. In addition, with the evolution of social media, the dissemination of knowledge and communication has been shifted to digital platforms, where social media influencers play an essential role in creating brand awareness and purchase intention by sharing their opinions and recommendations. While previous research has explored the impact of influencers' characteristics on consumers’ purchase intentions, little attention has been given to this phenomenon in the context of domestic brands, particularly within Portugal. This study addresses this gap by investigating how various SMIs characteristics (trustworthiness, expertise, physical attractiveness, authenticity, similarity, content usefulness and originality) affect Portuguese consumers' purchase intention towards national brands. Additionally, the role of patriotism in willingness to buy is also explored. The data was gathered through a quantitative approach by the means of an online survey, enabling an analysis of these relationships, confirming or rejecting the hypotheses derived from the literature review and contributing with valuable insights to the field. The results revealed that the usefulness of content and consumer patriotism have a positive effect on purchase intention, while authenticity was found to have a negative impact, which contrasts with previous conclusions. The remaining characteristics were shown to have a less direct impact on the dependent variable. These findings emphasize the importance of aligning influencer marketing strategies with consumer values, especially when promoting domestic brands in a highly competitive global market.

Date of Award	4 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Mónica Amâncio da Silva Borges (Supervisor)