Syfte: Studien syftar till att skapa förståelse för om och i så fallhur mikro- och makroinfluencers påverkar relationen mellan attitydkomponenterna (tillförlitlighet, experits och attraktivitet) och köpintentionen. Metod:Denna studie baseras på en kvantitativ forskningsmetod där primärdata samlades in via en digital enkätundersökning. Enkäten innehöll frågor från tidigare forskning samt egenutformade och den distribuerades ut via sociala medier. Primärdata samlades in från 150 respondenter där 15 blev bortfall. Primärdata analyserades sedan genom korrelationsanalyser och regressionsanalyser i IBM SPSS-Statistics.  Slutsats: Studien visade att tillförlitlighet och attraktivitet påverkar köpintentionen. Tillförlitlighet har den starkaste påverkan på köpintentionen och makroinfluencers påverkar denna relation medan mikroinfluencers inte gör det. Attraktivitet har också en påverkan på köpintentionen, och mikroinfluencers påverkar relationen, medan makroinfluencers inte gör det. Studien fastställde inte om expertis påverkar köpintentionen, vilket kräver ytterligare forskning. Mikro- och makroinfluencers har en signifikant effekt på förhållandet mellan expertis och köpintention, vilket är av intresse och kräver framtida forskning. / Purpose: This study aims to understand whether and if so, how micro- and macroinfluencers affect the relationship between the attitude components (trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness) and purchase intention. Method:This study is based on a quantitative research method where primary data was collected via a digital survey. The survey contained questions from previous research as well as self- designed questions and was distributed via social media. Primary data was collected from 150 respondents and 15 were excluded. The primary data was then analyzed through correlation- and regression analyses in IBM SPSS-Statistics. Conclusion:The study found that trustworthiness and attractiveness impact purchase intention. Trustworthiness has the strongest impact, and macroinfluencers significantly affect this relationship while microinfluencers do not. Attractiveness also has a positive impact on purchase intention, with micro-influencers affecting the relationship, while macroinfluencers do not. The study did not determine if expertise impacts purchase intention, requiring further research. Micro- and macroinfluencers have a significant effect on the relationship between expertise and purchase intention, which is of interest and needs further research.

Date:   2023-05-31 Level:   Bachelor Thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution:  School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors:  Erica Kim Stenström   Isabelle Örnbratt                            (96/11/06)    (01/03/31) Title:   The Evolution of Technology and its Effect on Consumption Supervisor:  Edward Gillmore Keywords:  Consumer behavior, consumption, technology, media, marketing, source credibility theory, dual-process theory Research Question: How has the evolution of technology and media affected consumption within the fashion industry? Purpose: Due to the great shift in both online and physical consumption, the purpose of this research is to provide significant insights to already existing scientific literature on how the development of technology and media has affected consumers’ purchasing behavior. Method: A qualitative research paper with two semi-structured interviews and a random sample survey containing eleven open-ended questions. For secondary data, scientific articles and non-scientific, informational articles and websites were used.  Conclusion: The evolution of technology and media has heavily affected marketing strategies and consumer behavior. Along with this, there is a greater incentive to engage in consumerism, despite the world’s growing awareness regarding the consequences of overconsumption. Due to this, it is of great importance for businesses to assess how their decisions will make an impact on the world.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how trust was built from three dimensions of source credibility in an electronic word of mouth space towards purchase intentions of a hotel stay. The chosen dimensions of Source Credibility that were investigated in the study was: Homophily, Expertise and Trustworthiness. The study aimed to see how consumers of hotel booking for a destination got affected and believed in electronic word of mouth for their intention to purchase a hotel stay via the internet. A quantitative method was chosen for this study with a questionnaire that was sent out to students on the programmes “Ekonomie Kandidat”, “Civilekonom” and “Fastighetsmäklare” at Luleå University of Technology. The questionnaire was also shared on the author's private Facebook page and sent to friends and family via messenger. The data was collected during one week and summarized in diagrams and a one-sample statistical t-test for the three dimensions of Source Credibility were run and are provided in appendix 1-3. The findings for this study shows that all three dimensions; homophily, trustworthiness and expertise impact trust in eWOM and can lead to purchasing intentions of a hotel stay. The trust towards an expert who works at a hotel (manager) did not seem to be trustworthy compared to previous customers who shared their opinions of a hotel online. It appeared clearly that previous customer reviews which provide a lot of information, repetitive reviews of customers and new reviews are seen as the most trustworthy for purchasing a hotel stay online. A recommendation to managers in the hotel industry and to those working with the review websites is therefore to categorize reviews so customers easily can pick from what they are searching for.

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People choose to spend a large amount of their time on the internet these days, which has led to an increase in search engine marketing. It is a form of online marketing that displays the ads as organic and sponsored links and is considered less intrusive by internet users. However, internet users' low perceived credibility towards online marketing, in general, seems to be affecting their perception of the two links as well. There is currently a gap in knowledge regarding what factors affect internet users' perceived credibility towards organic and sponsored links. This was explored in this study to see what affects the users' perception and how it could be raised. The trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness factors in the source credibility theory were utilized and explored to see if they affected the internet users' perceived credibility towards the links. This was achieved through a quantitative study and by conducting two questionnaires with sample sizes of 140 respondents each. The findings of this study indicate that the three factors positively affect internet users' perceived credibility. By performing a t-test on the combined results from the two questionnaires, it was also evident that which type of link it is, organic or sponsored, plays a significant role in how the users perceive the link’s credibility. The organic links have a more positive effect on the users' perceived credibility and are viewed as more credible than the sponsored links, suggesting a bias towards the sponsored links.

As the development of digitization becomes more extensive and integrated into our daily lives, it shapes people around the world. This influence extends to how we create value, communicate, and consume. Today, a large portion of the Swedish population uses social media for various reasons, albeit with a lack of awareness of its impact on the individual's subconscious. The motivation for this study was to examine how influencers on TikTok influence consumer behavior in Stockholm.  By employing a mixed-method approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative research methods, the study aims to achieve a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the subject. To gain in-depth insights, a survey and semi-structured interviews have been conducted. Based on the chosen research approaches in the study, it is possible to identify how influencers on TikTok affect and capture the interest of consumers while allowing the quantification and generalization of certain aspects.  The empirical results of the study also reveal differences in how micro- and macro-influencers impact their followers. While micro-influencers tend to create stronger and more personal relationships with their followers, macro-influencers have a broader reach but a less personal connection. However, both types of influencers have a significant impact on consumer purchasing decisions, but in different ways. Three central concepts consistently emerged during the study: trust, reliability, and authenticity. These concepts have proven to be crucial factors in consumers' attitudes toward influencer marketing. To build relationships with consumers, the focus should primarily be on establishing trust, which is largely accomplished through influencers.  The study's empirical evidence generally indicates a low level of reliability towards influencer marketing, but despite this, consumers are still influenced by its marketing. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the potential of influencer marketing but also highlights the challenges and ethical considerations associated with this form of marketing. Future research should continue to explore these aspects to understand and manage the complex and dynamic nature of influencer marketing. The study provides valuable insights and guidance for academics and practitioners in marketing. / I takt med att digitaliseringens utveckling blir mer omfattande och integrerad i våra dagliga liv formar den människor runt om i världen. Denna styrning sträcker sig till hur vi skapar värde, kommunicerar och konsumerar. I dagens samhälle använder en stor del av Sveriges befolkning sociala medier av flera anledningar, dock med saknad medvetenhet om dess styrning på individens undermedvetna. Motivet till denna studie var att beskriva hur influencers på TikTok styr konsumenters köpbeteende i Stockholm.  Genom att tillämpa en blandad metodansats, där både kvalitativa och kvantitativa forskningsmetoder integreras, strävar studien efter att uppnå en grundlig och omfattande förståelse av ämnet. För att erhålla en djupgående insikt har en enkätundersökning och semistrukturerade intervjuer tillämpats. Utifrån valda forskningsansatser i studien är det möjligt att identifiera hur influencers på TikTok styr och väcker intresse hos konsumenter samtidigt som det möjliggör kvantifiera och generalisera vissa aspekter.  Studiens empiriska resultat påvisar också skillnader i hur mikro- och makro-influencers styr sina följare. Medan mikro-influencers tenderar att skapa starkare och mer personliga relationer med sina följare, har makro-influencers en bredare räckvidd men en mindre personlig koppling. Båda typerna av influencers har dock en betydande styrning på konsumenternas köpbeslut, men på olika sätt. Under studiens gång framkom tre centrala begrepp som återkom regelbundet: förtroende, pålitlighet och autenticitet. Dessa begrepp har visat sig vara avgörande faktorer när det gäller konsumenters attityder gentemot influencer marknadsföring. För att skapa relationer med konsumenterna bör man därmed främst fokusera på att etablera förtroende, och detta görs i hög grad genom influencers. Studiens empiri avslöjar generellt sett en låg grad av tillförlitlighet gentemot influencer marketing, men trots detta styrs konsumenterna ändå av dess marknadsföring.  Sammanfattningsvis understryker denna studie influencer-marknadsföringens potential men också de utmaningar och etiska överväganden som är förknippade med denna marknadsföringsform. Framtida forskning bör fortsätta att utforska dessa aspekter för att förstå och hantera influencer-marknadsföringens komplexa och dynamiska natur. Studien erbjuder värdefulla insikter och vägledning för både akademiker och praktiker inom marknadsföringsområdet.

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.

Syftet med uppsatsen var att förklara hur svenska kvinnliga Millennials attityd och köpintention påverkas av influencers på Instagram inom modebranschen. För att besvara syftet har influencerns effektivitet analyserats genom fyra variabler; dessa är source credibility, source attractiveness, product match up och meaning transfer. Studien har grundats i teorier om celebrity endorsement och influencer marketing och olika sätt att mäta hur effektiva endorsern är. Hypoteser formades för att kunna bekräfta samband mellan de fyra variablerna och attityd och köpintention. Empirin samlades in via enkäter till kvinnliga Millennials i Norrbotten där respondenterna fick besvara frågor baserat på en bild och utifrån bilden besvara vilket ord som stämde bäst överens med deras åsikt. Uppsatsen testade nio hypoteser och fem av dessa kunde styrkas. Resultatet visade att source credibility påverkar köpintentionen, det finns ett samband mellan source attractiveness och attityd men attraktivitet är inte en tillräcklig stark källa för att övertyga konsumenter till köp. Product match up påverkar Millennials köpintention, meaning transfer har ett positivt samband till konsumenternas attityd och attityd påverkar köpintention. För vidare forskning föreslås en kvalitativ undersökning för att få djupare förståelse av Instagram-influencers påverkan paå Millennialskonsumenter. / The purpose of this report was to explain how Swedish female Millennials attitudes and their purchase intention were affected by influencers on social media. This has been done by analyzing four variables; source credibility, source attractiveness, product match up and meaning transfer. The study was based on theory about celebrity endorsement, influencer marketing and different ways of measuring how effective the endorser is. Hypotheses were formulated to be able to confirm relationships between the four variables, and attitudes and purchase intention. The data were gathered from female Millennials in Norrbotten via an online survey and the respondents got to answer questions based on a picture and answer what word which best described their opinion of the picture. The report tested nine hypotheses and five of these could be confirmed. The result showed that source credibility affects the purchase intention. There is a relationship between source attractiveness and consumer attitude, however attractiveness is not a strong enough source to convince the purchase intention of consumers. Product match up affects Millennials purchase intention, meaning transfer has a positive relationship towards consumer attitude, and attitude affects purchase intention. For future research, it is suggested to make a qualitative study in order to gain deeper understanding the effect of Instagram-influencers on Millennial consumers.

Since the increased popularity of social media, new marketing strategies have been developed by companies and marketers in order to advertise more effectively. This has concluded in a new marketing strategy originated from celebrity endorsement, called influencer marketing, which is implied by various brands today and often used on the social media platform Instagram. Influencer marketing is a strategy where a brand invests in an individual who has a big influence over its followers, with the purpose to recommend a brand or a product. The issue however is that there are thousands of influencers, and companies have to be selective when choosing who to collaborate with. Furthermore, there are studies examining factors which have an effect on attitudes and purchase intention, but very few study purchase behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to study which factors of an influencer have an effect on consumers’ purchase behaviour. This will be done by examining commerciality, entertainment and factors included in source credibility towards purchase. There was also an interest to investigate if certain personality types of consumers were more prone to make a purchase. Because of this, extraversion and self-monitoring were also included in relation to purchase behaviour. Furthermore, two types of exposure will also be examined to see their effect on purchase. For this study a quantitative approach was applied with the use of a survey questionnaire which resulted in 524 valid answers. The results showed that commerciality, attractivity and similarity had a significant effect on purchase, whereas trustworthiness, knowledge and entertainment did not. Furthermore, personality traits are also a determinant factor as high levels of extraversion and self-monitoring show to have an impact on purchase. Lastly, purchase seems to increase if an individual spends more time on Instagram or follows more influencers, meaning exposure also had a significant effect. In conclusion, our results show clear differences in the dominating factors which have been previously researched towards purchase intention. Attractivity is the factor which has most influence over purchase, closely followed by commerciality. / Uppkomsten av sociala medier har förändrat människors sätt att söka och samla information. Detta har påverkat företags val av strategi för att nå ut till sina kunder på bästa möjliga sätt. Den strategi som kommit att bli dominerande bland företag på den sociala plattformen Instagram är influencer marketing. Denna strategi innebär att företag investerar i en individ som har stort inflytande över sina följare för att marknadsföra en viss produkt eller tjänst. Detta görs i syfte att påverka individens medvetenhet och uppfattning om företag men även dess köpintention för att potentiellt utföra ett köp. Influencer marketing innebär dock att en vanlig person utan att behöva vara känd kan ha ett stort inflytande över sina följare vilket resulterat i tusentals olika influensers. På grund av detta måste företag vara selektiva vid valet av influenser för att marknadsföringsstrategin ska vara effektiv. Tidigare studier har undersökt vilka faktorer som har en inverkan på individens attityd och köpintention men endast ett fåtal undersöker köpbeteende. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilka faktorer av en influenser som påverkarkonsumenters köpbeteende. Detta kommer att göras genom att studera faktorerna kommersialitet, underhållning och de faktorer som ingår i modellen source credibility gentemot köp. Studien syftar även till att undersöka om individer med en viss personlighet är mer benägna att utföra ett köp, därav inkluderades extraversion och self-monitoring i relation till köpbeteende. Vidare undersöks effekten av två typer av exponering i förhållande till köp. För studien användes en kvantitativ insamlingsmetod som bestod av en enkät där 524 giltiga svar samlades in. Resultaten visade att faktorerna kommersialitet, attraktivitet och likhet hade en signifikant effekt på köp. Däremot visade faktorerna trovärdighet, kunskap och underhållning ingen signifikant effekt. Från resultaten framgick det även att personlighetstyp är en avgörande faktor där hög grad av extraversion och self-monitoring har inverkan på köp. Dessutom uppvisar resultaten att köp ökar om en individ spenderar mer tid på Instagram eller om hen följer fler influensers, vilket innebär att exponering har en betydande effekt. Slutligen visar våra resultat tydliga skillnader avseende de dominerande faktorer som tidigare undersökts i relation till köp. Faktorn attraktivitet har störst inflytande över köp följt av kommersialitet.

Covid-19 pandemin har påverkat många länder runt om i världen. Folkhälsomyndigheten i Sverige införde restriktioner och rekommendationer för att skydda samhällets befolkning från att smittas av viruset. I samband med pandemin har det uppkommit ett överflöd av nyheter gällande covid-19 inom både traditionella och digitala medier. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om Folkhälsomyndigheten har påverkats utifrån de olika nyhetsmedier som informerat om covid-19 men även om det finns ett samband mellan studiens fynd och Folkhälsomyndighetens kommunikationsinsatser. Studien har använt sig av source credibility (Hovland et al. 1953) och media credibility (Westley & Severin, 1964; W.Roper, 1959; Bucy, 2003) teorierna som teoretiskt ramverk, relevanta forskningsstudier inom trovärdighet och medier och Folkhälsomyndighetens pandemiberedskapsrapport. Det empiriska underlaget i studien utgår från tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer som genomförts med respondenter inom två åldersgrupper, 20–25 år och 65–70 år. Det har genomförts en tematisk analys för att hitta likheter och skillnader mellan respondenternas svar vilket utformat teman, public service och trovärdighet, nyhetskomsumption, källhänvisning och trovärdighet, språk och det visuella i samband med trovärdighet, respondenternas bild av Folkhälsomyndigheten, massinformation, Folkhälsomyndighetens påverkan av nyhetsmedier, digitala och traditionella medier och Folkhälsomyndighetens expertis. Studiens resultat visar att det uppkommer en svårighet med att mäta respondenternas trovärdighet till Folkhälsomyndigheten genom nyhetsmedier då det uppkommer andra faktorer som är mer påtagliga än faktorerna expertis och tillförlitlighet inom source- och media credibility teorierna. Dessa faktorer är respondenternas livsstil, vanor, journalistik, visuell påverkan, källhänvisning och public service. Det fanns samband med faktorerna och Folkhälsomyndigheternas sex kommunikationsstrategier och genom att myndigheten tar hänsyn till åldersgruppernas faktorer för trovärdighet kan det gynna deras risk- och konsekvensbedömningar inom kommunikationsarbetet inför kommande pandemier. Slutsatsen är att Folkhälsomyndighetens bild inte har påverkats av nyhetsmedierna. Digitala och traditionella medier har inte varit avgörande för respondenternas uppfattning av Folkhälsomyndighetens trovärdighet. Studien belyser även komplexiteten med trovärdighetsbedömningar då respondenterna hade svårigheter med att särskilja avsändaren, meddelandet och mediet. / The Covid-19 pandemic has affected many countries around the world. The Swedish Public Health Agency introduced restrictions and recommendations to protect society's population from being infected by the virus. In connection with the pandemic, there has been an abundance of news regarding covid-19 in both traditional and digital media. The purpose of the study is to investigate whether the Swedish Public Health Agency has been affected based on the various news media that informed about covid-19, but also whether there is a connection between the study's findings and the Swedish Public Health Agency's communication efforts. The study has used the source credibility (Hovland et al. 1953) and media credibility (Westley & Severin, 1964; W. Roper, 1959; Bucy, 2003) theories as a theoretical framework, relevant research studies in credibility, media and the Public Health Agency's pandemic preparedness report. The empirical basis of the study is based on twelve semi-structured interviews conducted with respondents in two age groups, 20–25 years and 65–70 years. A thematic analysis has been carried out to find similarities and differences between the respondents 'answers, which designed themes, public service and credibility, news consumption, source reference and credibility, language and the visual in connection with credibility, respondents' image of the Public Health Agency, mass information, Public Health Agency's influence on news media, digital and traditional media, and the Swedish Public Health Agency's expertise. The results of the study show that there is a difficulty in measuring the respondents' credibility to the Public Health Agency through news media as other factors arise that are more obvious than the factors expertise and reliability within the source and media credibility theories. These factors are the respondents' lifestyle, habits, journalism, visual impact, source reference and public service. There were connections with the factors and the Public Health Authorities 'six communication strategies, and by the authority considering the age groups' factors for credibility, it can benefit their risk and impact assessments in the communication work before future pandemics. The conclusion is that the Public Health Agency's image has not been influenced by the news media. Digital and traditional media have not been decisive for the respondents' perception of the Public Health Agency's credibility. The study also highlights the complexity of credibility assessments as respondents had difficulty distinguishing between sender, message and medium.