What makes consumers purchase apparel products through social shopping services that social media fashion influencers have worn?

Given the huge success of fashion influencer marketing in the social media context, it is important to understand which image components of social media fashion influencers (SMFI) are effective in the new fashion adoption process when using a social shopping service such as LIKEtoKNOW.it. Using a 2 x 2 between-subject design in two studies, we investigated the joint effects of apparel product type (novel vs. familiar) and the degree of the SMFIs' high socioeconomic status (HSS) (moderately vs. extremely) on consumers' intentional mimicry consumption process from the curiosity perspective. The results showed that for SMFIs with moderately HSS, consumers' curiosity was higher for novel than familiar fashion products. In contrast, for SMFIs with extremely HSS, consumers had a similarly high level of curiosity for both novel and familiar products. Further, product curiosity was positively related to purchase intentions and intentions to use the social shopping service.

Automated summary

The study found that social media fashion influencers' (SMFIs) socioeconomic status (HSS) and the novelty of apparel products affect consumers' curiosity and purchase intentions. SMFIs with moderately HSS trigger higher curiosity in consumers, while those with extremely HSS do not show significant differences in consumers' curiosity towards novel and familiar products.