Den exogena chocken Covid-19 har påverkat konsumtionsbeteendet vilket givit upphov till en ökad e-handel. Det har resulterat i konsekvenser vad gäller företags användning av influencer marketing och konsumenters osäkerhet vid online handel. Syftet med följande uppsats är därför att undersöka hur Covid-19 har påverkat företags sätt att använda sig av influencer marketing. Rapportens ändamål är även att undersöka hur företag inom modebranschen arbetar med strategin för att minska konsumenters osäkerhet vid köp online. En kvalitativ metod genomfördes i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem respondenter från olika agenturer. Resultatet visade hur Covid-19 har utmanat företagens användning av influencer marketing till följd av det förändrade konsumtionsbeteendet som gjort att företag har uppmärksammat värdet i att finnas på de digitala kanalerna. Det framkom även att influencer marketing, genom dess trovärdiga och genuina innehåll kan reducera den upplevda osäkerheten konsumenter känner vid digitala köp.

Sammanfattning Titel Effekten av Influencer Marknadsföring på konsumenters: En studie av hur influencer kampanjer påverkar konsumenternas varumärkeslojalitet och köpintention Nivå C- uppsats, 15 hp Författare Charlotte Krönlein och Hanna Kram Handledare Afshin Afsharipour Examinator Svante Andersson Termin VT 2023 Syfte: Syftet med studien är att förstå effekten av hur influencers medverkan i kampanjer på konsumenters varumärkeslojalitet och köpintention, samt att undersöka eventuella skillnader mellan män och kvinnor i detta sammanhang. Studiens syfte är att skapa en förståelse för hur mycket influencers medverkan i kampanjer påverkar människors vilja att köpa företagets produkter och hur de bidrar till varumärkeslojalitet, samtidigt som den tar hänsyn till skillnader mellan män och kvinnor. Teoretiska referensramen: Uppsatsen är fördelad och uppdelad på teori inom fem olika områden. Referensramen börjar med att presentera köpintention, därefter tillit och förtroende som följs med influencer marknadsföring,  social identitet och electronic word of mouth.  Metod: För att undersöka våra tre forskningsfrågor utfördes en kvantitativ studie med 294 respondenter som var jämnt fördelade mellan kvinnor och män, samt åldrar mellan 18-60+ år.  Empiri: Med hjälp av en enkätundersökning samlades 294 svar in från kvinnor och män. Vidare presenterades resultatet i form av tabell och diagram som senare har analyserats med hjälp av den teoretiska referensramen.  Diskussion och slutsats:  Denna studie belyser influencer-marknadsförings effekt på varumärkeslojalitet och köpintention. Nyckeln till framgång ligger i att välja rätt influencer och att det finns en positiv inställning till influencern och deras marknadsförda produkter. Resultaten visar också på könsrelaterade skillnader, att män tycker den känslomässiga anknytningen är viktigare vilket öppnar upp för vidare forskning. Nyckelord: Influencer marknadsföring, köpintention, varumärkeslojalitet, social identitetsteori, electronic word of mouth, Theory of Planned Behavior

This thesis is situated in the research field of electronic commerce, specifically the aspect of fast fashion brands. This has drawn consumer interest because they find struggles when shopping for clothes online due to their inability to try the product before purchasing from sellers, which tends to result in information asymmetry. Therefore, they may be more hesitant to purchase online due to the perceived risk that results in low level of trust while shopping clothes online; therefore, businesses should strive to alleviate their concerns. Previous research has shown that electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) can guide and increase confidence.  The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how consumers perceive online reviews as ways of reducing information asymmetry and reduce risk in order to ensure that they will be satisfied with their purchase. Furthermore, many factors identified in previous research that could influence the use of online reviews were identified and analyzed in the context of fast fashion for this study. Therefore, the study discovered several factors that influenced the use of online reviews.  This study investigates the role of trust as a mediator between customers' perception of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and their subsequent actions. Specifically, the study focuses on the influence of the perceived usefulness of online reviews on customer trust in fast fashion websites. To gain a comprehensive understanding of consumers' opinions on online reviews, a qualitative research approach employing semi-structured interviews was conducted. The interviews provided participants with the opportunity to elaborate on their responses and provide nuanced insights. The findings indicate that fast fashion brands should prioritize the inclusion of online reviews and enhance their mechanisms based on the factors identified in this study. By recognizing the importance of customer trust and addressing the perceived usefulness of online reviews, fast fashion brands can improve their relationship with customers and foster positive consumer actions. This study contributes to the existing literature on eWOM, trust, and online reviews, offering practical implications for fast fashion brands aiming to optimize their online platforms.

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) recommendations are online consumer-generated recommendations posted on the service providers' or the third-party websites, which are expected to affect consumers’ perceptions of adopting experience services. In recognition of the increasing significance of eWOM recommendations, this study delves further into this topic by proposing a research model that explains the contingency factors affecting the effectiveness of eWOM recommendations on consumers’ perceptions of adopting experience services. We contend that the effectiveness of eWOM recommendations is contingent on the task complexity of evaluating the experience services and consumers’ degree of cognitive and sensory innovativeness. We draw on the elaboration likelihood model, cognitive load theory, service adoption process theory, and the two dimensions of consumer’s innovativeness (i.e., cognitive innovativeness and sensory innovativeness), as the theoretical underpinnings, to propose nine hypotheses. These hypotheses are empirically tested based on data collected from 263 subjects. To that end, we used a controlled longitudinal laboratory experiment, based on a mixed methods (quantitative – qualitative) research methodology. The results of statistical tests of quantitative data and the content analysis of the qualitative data illustrate that the effectiveness of eWOM recommendations on consumers’ perceptions of adopting experience services is contingent on the consumers’ prior knowledge of the service context, consumers’ level of cognitive and sensory innovativeness, and the consumers’ level of experience with the service, which is determined by the stage of the service adoption process (i.e., pre-usage, initial use, and repeated use). Our findings show that the confluence of these factors creates different settings that determine the effectiveness of eWOM recommendations. These findings provide valuable contributions to the theory and practice by ameliorating important gaps in the eWOM literature. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Managers have begun to respond to customers' online reviews of services on online review websites. However, it is not known how viewers evaluate company-initiated service recovery in the form of manager responses to online reviews. This research has three objectives: (1) to explore how managers are currently responding to electronic word of mouth; (2) to investigate whether a manager's response to electronic negative word of mouth (eNWOM) positively influences viewers' behavioral intentions; (3) to examine which elements in a manager's responses increases viewers' evaluations of trust and behavioral intentions towards the company. Three studies were conducted, one for each objective. Study "1 examined 21,211 online reviews and manager responses from Tripadvisor.com from 184 hotels in five cities. Study "2 was a single-factor between-subject experimental design by manipulating a manager's response to eNWOM (response message vs. no response message) through scenarios. Study "3 was a 2 (procedural justice: high vs. low) x 2 (interactional justice: high vs. low) x 2 (social presence: high vs. low) between-subject experimental design that manipulated manager's responses through scenarios. Findings from Study "1 revealed that managers were more likely to respond to eNWOM compared to neutral word of mouth. A content analysis of 432 company responses to eNWOM determined that managers used nine online review management strategies: appreciation, apology, future patronage encouragement, explanation, follow up, flexibility, correction, compensation, and social presence. Results from Study "2 indicated that viewers were more likely to visit a restaurant when a manager responded to eNWOM compared to no response to eNWOM. Results from Study "3 revealed a three-way interaction of procedural justice, interactional justice, and social presence on trust. There were also main effects of procedural justice and interactional justice on trust. Additionally, results provided partial support for the mediating role of trust in the relationship between the three-way interaction and behavioral intentions. This study contributes to the online service recovery literature and online trust formation literature by enhancing the understanding of how viewers evaluate manager responses to eNWOM and how social presence can be used with procedural justice and interactional justice to enhance trust in the online review management context. Service organizations should create a comprehensive online review system to respond to eNWOM and identify ways to enhance procedural justice, interactional justice, and social presence into their responses. Online review websites should encourage companies to provide managerial response to online complaints and allow for social presence and enhanced creative options in manager responses.

Ämnet som denna studie handlar om är Electronic word-of-mouth och studiens syfte är att ta reda på vad som motiverar kunder att skriva Electronic word-of-mouth och vilka samband kunderna anser att motivationen har med kundengagemang, kundnöjdhet och kundlojalitet.Den metod som har använts är kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer samt ett system som kallas Dialogue-Hermeneutic Method, DHM, en form av mindmap-system för att strukturera upp respondentens subjektiva teori. Sex intervjuer genomfördes inför studien där ingångspunkten var att respondenterna själva skulle analysera sig själva och sitt användande med Electronic word-of-mouth. Efter intervjun målade respondenterna upp hur de ansåg flödet fungera och detta kallas då DHM. Teorin som har samlats in har varit vetenskapligt granskad men teorin har inte behandlat den exakta vinkeln som studien antagit då denna vinkel är outforskad. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av respondenterna blir mest motiverade till att skriva Electronic word-of-mouth när de är väldigt nöjda eller väldigt missnöjda och motivationerna som är starkast är för att sprida information, självförbättring, moralisk förpliktelse, altruism och förpliktelse till företaget.Kopplingen mellan Electronic word-of-mouth, motivation, kundengagemang, kundnöjdhet och kundlojalitet är tydligare utan lojalitet, då lojalitet till företaget inte är ett måste för att kunden ska engagera sig. Det är större chans att en kund blir motiverad att skriva eWOM då kunden är nöjd med en produkt än då kunden känner lojalitet mot företaget. Grunderna som leder till motivation och engagemang är nöjdhet och lojalitet men nöjdhet är en starkare grund. / The subject of this study is about Electronic word-of-mouth and the purpose is to find out what’s motivating customer to write Electronic word-of-mouth and what connections customers believes the motivation has to customer commitment, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.The method used in this study is qualitative semi-structured interviews and a system called Dialogue- Hermeneutic Method, DHM, which is a kind of mindmap-system used to structure the respondent’s subjective theory. There were six interviews made for this study where the point was for the respondents to analyse themselves and their use of Electronic word-of-mouth. After the interview the respondents painted their subjective theory on a paper and showed how they thought the process to be, this method is called DHM. The material of scientific articles used in this study has been peer- reviewed but the articles those not discuss the exact angle used in this study, because this angle seems to be new on the field. The result showed that the majority of the respondents are mostly motivated to write Electronic word-of-mouth when they are very satisfied or very disgruntled and the motivations who was the most important was to spread information, self-efficacy, moral obligation, altruism and obligation to the company.The connection between Electronic word-of-mouth, motivation, customer commitment, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty are more visible without loyalty, because loyalty to the company isn’t necessary for the customer to engage. It is a bigger chance that a customer gets motivated by writing a eWOM when the customer is satisfied with a product rather than the customer gets motivated by being loyal to the company. The foundation that leads to motivation and engagement is satisfaction and loyalty but satisfaction has a stronger foundation.

Yes / Purpose- Numerous studies have examined factors influencing eWOM providing behaviour. The volume of extant research and inconsistency in some of the findings makes it useful to develop an all-encompassing model synthesising results. Therefore, the aim of this study is to synthesise findings from existing studies on eWOM by employing meta-analysis, which will help to reconcile conflicting findings of factors affecting consumers’ intention to engage in eWOM communications. Design/methodology/approach- The findings from 51 studies were used for meta-analysis, which was undertaken using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Findings- Factors affecting eWOM providing behaviour were divided into four groups: personal conditions, social conditions, perceptual conditions, and consumption-based conditions. The results of meta-analysis showed that out of 20 identified relationships, 16 were found to be significant (opinion seeking, information usefulness, trust in web eWOM services, economic incentive, customer satisfaction, loyalty, brand attitude, altruism, affective commitment, normative commitment, opinion leadership, self-enhancement, information influence, tie strength, homophily, and community identity). Originality/value- Applying meta-analysis helped reconciliation of conflicting findings, enabled investigation of the strengths of the relationships between motivations and eWOM providing behaviour, and offered a consolidated view. The results of this study facilitate the advancement of current knowledge of information dissemination on the Internet, which can influence consumer purchase intention and loyalty.

Forskningsfrågor: Hur har den digitala utvecklingen förändrat gerillamarknadsföringenspåverkan på varumärkeskännedom? Hur har den digitala utvecklingen förändrat gerillamarknadsföringens påverkan påkundengagemang? Syfte: Arbetet syftar till att undersöka hur den digitala utvecklingen påverkatgerillamarknadsföringens förmåga att öka varumärkeskännedom och engagera konsumenter. Metod: Studien tillämpar en kvalitativ forskningsmetod i form av fokusgrupper, för atterhålla en djupare förståelse för ämnet. Vidare används en tematisk analys för att identifieraåterkommande teman och mönster i den insamlade empirin. Slutsats: Studien påvisar en stark koppling mellan digital gerillamarknadsföring ochvarumärkeskännedom. Däremot framstår sambandet mellan digital gerillamarknadsföring ochkundengagemang svagt, på grund av konsumenters inställning till reklam online. Vid starkvarumärkeskännedom kan dock kundengagemang uppkomma i samband med digitalagerillakampanjer. / Research questions: How has digital development changed the impact of guerrilla marketingon brand awareness? How has digital development changed the impact of guerrilla marketing on customerengagement? Purpose: The study aims to explore how digital development has impacted guerrillamarketing's ability to increase brand awareness and engage consumers. Method: The study employs a qualitative research method with focus groups to gain a deeperunderstanding of the subject. Furthermore, thematic analysis is utilized to identify recurringthemes and patterns in the collected empirical data. Conclusion: The study demonstrates a strong correlation between digital guerrilla marketingand brand awareness. However, the relationship between digital guerrilla marketing andcustomer engagement appears to be weak due to consumers' attitude towards onlineadvertisement. Nonetheless, with strong brand awareness, customer engagement may emergein connection with digital guerrilla campaigns.

Yes / The aim of this research is to synthesise findings from existing studies on the characteristics of source credibility of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) communications in a single model by using meta-analysis. Findings from 20 research papers show that source expertise, trustworthiness, and homophily significantly influence perceived eWOM usefulness and credibility, intention to purchase, and information adoption. The results of this study add to existing knowledge of the influence of source characteristics on consumer behaviour, which will advance our understanding of information processing. Marketers can use the findings of this meta-analysis to enhance their marketing activities.

No / Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) significantly affects the consumer decision-making process. A number of studies investigated why consumers provide eWOM communications. Existing literature has contradicting factors regarding factors affect eWOM providing behaviour. This study aims to evaluate factors affecting eWOM providing behaviour by performing a systematic review and weight analysis of existing research outputs. Based on the result of weight analysis it was found that the best predictors of eWOM providing behaviour are involvement, self-enhancement, and trust in web eWOM services. Scholars can use the results of this study when making decisions regarding the inclusion of factors in their research. Practitioners can pay more attention to the best predictors.