The effect of influencer marketing on the buying behavior of young consumers : A study of how the purchase intention of young consumers is affected by brands within the fashion and beauty industries

Abstract: Background: In marketing today, influencer marketing has become a very efficient tool for companies within the beauty and fashion industry. With the utilization of social media and social media influencers, it become easy for brands to promote products and reach large audiences. Today's teenagers and young adults are part of a very digital-oriented generation and are fond of social networks. Therefore, they are the primary target of companies using this strategy. Aim: The aim of the study is to research how companies within the beauty and fashion industry use influencers and social media to influence consumers and especially the adolescent and young adults. But also, to determine what are the impacts of this influence on the behavior and especially the purchasing behavior of the consumers. Research questions: RQ1: How do the influencers within the fashion and beauty industriesinfluence using social media? RQ2: How the influencer marketing strategy impacts teenagers and young adults' behavior and purchasing behavior? Method: A qualitative research including three interviews of influencer in the fashion and beauty industry, two interviews of brand within the fashion and beauty industry and seven interviews of followers following the influencers previously mentioned. The study used three perspectives, as all the parts are linked together and in order to have more reliable findings thanks to the triangulation of data. Findings: Brands, thanks to social networks and influencers, have a real power of influence on young generations of consumers. Consumers identify and create links with influencers, which drives them to follow influencers recommendations. This relationship impacts young consumers on different level. Indeed, followers tend to purchase what the persons they idealize use or wear, being the influencers in this case. Thus, even if partnerships are a strategy used a lot by brands, it is not the only one. Today, brands are aware of the behavior of consumers, and they know that their sales will improve if an influencer post any type of content with their products and especially if they are not paid to do it. In fact, followers have more trust toward what is said by an influencer when there is no paid collaboration involved. That’s why on top of partnership, where the influencer perceives a remuneration, brands also send them gifted products in the hope that the influencer will use them.