The impact of influencers on Social Media Marketing and consumer buying behaviour; A case study of Nigeria’s Gen Z and Millennials (Dissertation Sample)

The impact of influencers on Social Media Marketing and consumer buying behaviour; A case study of Nigeria’s Gen Z and Millennials. CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Background Social media influencers have transformed conventional marketing practices (Magno and Cassia, 2018). The emergence of this novel trend has contributed to a shift in brand marketing and advertising mechanisms in various industries as well as consumption patterns among consumers (Magno and Cassia, 2018). Thus, social media is now fully employed by some individuals as a career that encompasses product promotion to gain acceptance among influencer followers on various platforms which can contribute to the rise in purchasing decisions to higher levels of becoming brand loyalists (Kay et al., 2020). Ouvrein et al. (2021) posited that the development of convincing and clean content is contingent on the social media influencers' connection and credibility with their massive followers. Their posts are presented frequently in reviews and endorsements on different social media platforms (Ouvrein et al., 2021). Therefore, this strategy is highly utilised because it significantly impacts consumer buying behaviour (Gómez, 2019). The two demographics among the youth, millennials and Gen Z are very essential in this research study due to understanding young people's buying behaviour. Also, they are a representation of the first generation born in a digital environment and their lives have experienced technological growth at an exponential rate (Hanifawati et al., 2019). Generation Z is a representation of people born in the late 90s and early 2000s (Hanifawati et al., 2019). Furthermore, the two generations are mainly linked to the 2010s and do not recall a moment when individuals were not always connected to the internet and their allies on different social media channels (Erwin et al., 2023). Hence, there is nothing more critical in understanding marketing and consumer behaviour than understanding the peculiarities of their buying behaviour in the present competitive world (Erwin et al., 2023). Also, these generations possess some qualities which are pertinent to their demographics (Dogra, 2019). One, they have unique activities and tastes that are unique from the preceding generations and two they have been greatly impacted by challenges emanating from social and technological transformations (Dogra, 2019). In addition, the two generations have grown in times when the globe is flooded with large volumes of data, knowledge and access to everything desirable (Liguori, 2022). Hence, this technological emancipation has transformed their media interactions and their corresponding demands and anticipations as young consumers (Liguori, 2022). With the social media growth in Nigeria, a fresh consumption pattern has strongly embedded itself into the normal routines (Fakeye and Ayoola, 2022). Through endorsements of different products, the influencers are actively swaying their followers into buying these products (Jide, 2022). Currently, social media is acknowledged as a prominent component of marketing communication and an influential instrument that is capable of influencing young consumer behaviours favourably or unfavourably towards buying a product (Jide, 2022). Therefore, regarding the influencer marketing tenets, various organisations have of late been inviting influencers such as bloggers with massive followers of young people to become their brand ambassadors (Oaikhena, 2023). The proclaimed content by these social media influencers has been primarily perceived to be compelling and reliable to millennials and Gen Z, who form 82% of social media users and are more likely to follow the recommendations of their influencers (Blandi et al., 2022). In addition, many companies in Nigeria have borrowed the idea of endorsement to warrant their product information factuality (Jide, 2022). Echoing this statement, Liguori (2022) mentions that social media influencers have a symbiotic relationship with these companies where the company benefit from the influencer’s following and the influencer ends up getting paid for the endorsement. According to Harrigan et al. (2021), 80% of the present marketers have approved that social media influencer are prominent endorsers and can boost their sales to higher levels especially products aligned to the youth. In other words, the statistical evidence can be employed as a validation of studying the impact of influencers on social media marketing in stimulating consumer buying behaviour. A study by Najjuko (2023) has demonstrated that over 50% of the markets have earmarked an uptick in financial allocation in utilising social media influencers to promote their products. Therefore, this research seeks to comprehend the impact of influencers on social media marketing and consumer buying behaviour by examining Gen Z and Millennials' purchasing patterns and interpreting their consumerisation behaviour as the most prominent consumer base that is highly targeted by marketers. Statement of the research problem While influencers have been essential in promoting social media marketing for different brands as well as understanding consumer behaviour among young demographics, Harrigan et al. (2021) have raised concerns about their effects on the privacy of the millennials and Gen Z. There is a gap in the provision for ethical framework in Nigeria that guides influencers and the overall social media marketing. Apparently, influencers have the potential to impact consumer buying decisions by inducing a sense of trust among their followers as mentioned by Najjuko (2023). This connection allows their followers to acquire the influencer’s beliefs and attitude, making it difficult for consumers to separate between commercialised and non-commercialised media content (Kithinji, 2023). Besides, Mwaisaka (2017) explains that this bond can contribute to excessive utilisation and unethical engagement between the influencers and their followers. Furthermore, the influencer's content especially on platforms such as TikTok has proved to be addictive and has increased the susceptibility to mental health issues such as anxiety among young people which eventually contributes to a reduction in health quality and well-being (Hassan, 2023). While past studies have critically analysed the benefits and provided some limelight on the same, there remains a significant gap in a comprehensive understanding of how influencers impact social media marketing in various existing platforms and the ultimate consumer behaviour among Nigerian millennials and Gen Z. As mentioned, 80% of these followers are teenagers and young adults. Erwin et al. (2023) posited that this age group is manipulated easily due to their low level of advertising literacy as well as developing cognitive abilities. Therefore, in light of this gap in research, the study will try to investigate and address the following aims and objectives: Research Aims This study aims to examine the impact of influencers on social media marketing and consumer buying behaviour by studying the specific case study of Nigeria’s Gen Z and Millennials. Research Objectives 1 To Examine the Role of Social Media Influencers in Shaping Consumer Buying Behaviour. 2 To Assess the Long-Term Impact of Influencer Marketing on Brand Loyalty. 3 To identify specific influencers' characteristics that impact young consumers purchasing behaviour. Research Significance Across the globe, there are over 4.5 billion social media users, which is a representation of over 50% of the global population (Gambo and Özad, 2020). Najjuko (2023) and Dogra (2019) studies have revealed that social media plays a significant role in marketing communication programmes. In addition, currently, people are utilising social media as their form of social interaction. Therefore, many companies have been scrambling for influencers to reach out to their potential consumers, especially among young demographics. also, several entities are looking for influencers to populace their products on media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and X, where Generation Z and millennials spend much of their leisure time (Oaikhena, 2023). Grounded on this fact and by utilising social media influencers, Nigerian brands can enhance the credibility of their endorsed products, persuading potential customers and eventually improving their competitive edge. Therefore, by examining all these critical aspects of the study, the research findings can be helpful to social media markers, especially in enabling them to make informed decisions regarding the selection of influencers and understanding consumerization patterns among Gen Z and millennials. Further, the findings can be u...