Social media influence : Qualitative study of Colombian consumer attitude toward social media and its influence

Abstract: Master Thesis, Master of Science in Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design with specialisation in Business Administration Field of research: Business Administration, School of Business & Economics University: Linnaeus University, Växjö, Sweden. Course code:5FE07E Semester: Spring 2017 Author: Juan Sebastian Duque L. Examiner: Saara Taalas Tutor: Soniya Billore Title: Social media influence Subtitle: Qualitative study of Colombian consumer attitude toward social media and its influence Background: The reason for conducting this master thesis in the field of Colombian consumer perspective and the influences on social media, was due to the realisation that there was a need for an increased understanding of the influences that social media is making on Colombian consumer. Besides, the main question is why Colombia? This country is a developing country that its level of growth in multiple sectors is remarkable. It is a market that is attracting multinational companies and expanding with prestigious national brands. The furniture industry is one of the most competitive businesses in this country, therefore using every single resource to acquire customers is a relevant aspect to take into consideration. However, the digital marketing and e- commerce are just emerging. Therefore, there is a need to understand how the Colombian consumer perceives and is influenced by the social media. Also, as Colombia is ranked number 15 with the most daily active users worldwide, meaning that the digital market on social media has a high potential. Colombian consumers are different than European consumer regarding online and social media purchase. Therefore, it is important to understand their attitudes and cognition about this subject. Research question: Q1: How do Colombian consumers perceive the purchase of furniture products through social media? Q2: In which way social media influence Colombian consumer’s attitudes toward purchasing furniture? Purpose: Identify what is the Colombian consumer’s attitude and perception toward purchase furniture through social media. Also, recognising how does social media influence Colombian consumer attitudes toward buying furniture. Method: The research design was qualitative and abductive manner. The empirical data was collected through Semi-structure interviews. It was essential for this study to settle in the ontological part as consumers’ behaviour was examined. Conclusion: This research found that Colombian consumers have a negative attitude towards social media. Nevertheless, this first attitude tends to change when it comes to the influences that social media have in their final decision making when purchasing furniture. Also, the Colombian consumer is seeking for information on social media for every purchase they make. Reviews are a key aspect that they take into consideration when purchasing an item of furniture. These reviews have the power to influences their perception of products and their final decision either to positive or negative.