To whom do we listen, and why? : An exploratory study into how young adult consumers experience TikTok electronic word-of-mouth product recommendations

Abstract: Background: Over time, social media platforms have become a part of people’s daily lives. Social media allows consumers to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences with other consumers, and eWOM evolved. Lately, TikTok has become one of the biggest social media platforms and, in turn, one of the biggest for eWOM; consumers use the app to share content, including product evaluation and recommendations. But there is limited understanding of how eWOM affects consumers’ purchasing behaviour on a platform like TikTok. Purpose: The purpose of the research is to explore the area of young adults’ consumer purchasing behaviour based on their experience of TikTok eWOM regarding beauty products and how the products’ virality affects their purchasing behaviour. Method: The study follows an interpretivist philosophy with an inductive research approach, as the aim is to understand and explore how eWOM affects consumer purchasing behaviour. Further, data were collected through four focus groups. Data were later analysed through inductive coding. Conclusion: The study concluded that four significant characteristics and evaluation factors of eWOM on TikTok affect the consumer's purchase behaviour. The characteristics are the content creators’ effect on the video message, quality, quantity, and following trends. Where quantity and following trends lead to virality and FOMO, which influences purchase behaviour. eWOM on TikTok was perceived to cause more impulsive purchases than on other social media platforms because of its algorithm and user platform trust. Impulsive purchases, in turn, influenced consumer purchase behaviour.