What is the impact of influential marketing on generation Z's purchase intention?

Abstract

In today's digital era, social media influencers play a pivotal role in shaping consumer behaviour among Generation Z individuals. This master's thesis explores how Generation Z consumers in Portugal are influenced by trustworthiness, attractiveness, expertise and post credibility of social media influencers while making purchases. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approaches were utilized to collect and evaluate data from 143 Portuguese Generation Z participants who were actively utilizing social media through an online survey. The results showed that whereas attractiveness has a considerable impact on purchase intention, trustworthiness, expertise and post credibility did not have an impact on purchase intention. Theoretical implications suggest a need for deeper understanding of cultural (societal norms, values and beliefs) and demographic nuances (age and gender) influencing consumer behavior, while practical implications highlight the importance of prioritizing influencer selection based on attractiveness for marketers targeting Generation Z consumers in Portugal. Furthermore, this study acknowledges limitations related to sample homogeneity and suggests avenues for future research, including qualitative approaches and comparative studies across diverse cultural contexts.

Date of Award	15 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Silva (Supervisor) & Cristiana Raquel Lages (Co-Supervisor)