Exploring the Impact of Homophily Attitude, Physical, and Social Attractiveness on Purchase Intentions

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc. Student, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, UrmiaUniversity, Urmia, Iran.

2 Associate Prof., Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran.

3 Assistant Prof., Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, Urmia University , Urmia, Iran.

Abstract

Objective
Augmented reality technology has made its way into households, presenting a valuable opportunity for marketers to offer customers a seamless flow experience within the comfort of their homes. In this age of technology, consumers have become comfortable shopping with their mobile devices. With this burgeoning trend, the branded app market has grown steadily, surpassing all other types of mobile commerce. Augmented reality applications add a new dimension to the customer experience by covering the customer's face or surroundings with virtual products. Given the omnipresence of smartphones today and customers' responsiveness to new technologies, there is an increasing focus on studying consumer behavior towards emerging technologies. Augmented reality has appeared as a new technology available to retailers for customer interaction. Also, the popularity of social media among both the young and older generations has led to its widespread usage as a new marketing communication platform. Customers encounter diverse marketing initiatives that businesses swiftly promote and execute in the digital realm of social media networks, disregarding space or time constraints. Due to social media platform features like live chats and commenting capabilities, individuals may now have direct digital interactions with their favorite brands, famous influencers, and other users. Social media users can communicate their attitudes and ideas about a brand’s products or the actions of other users by simply pressing the “like” or “dislike” button or by posting a favorable or unfavorable comment on a post. In addition, influencer marketing is gaining popularity in the era of social media. It is being widely used by marketers to influence their potential customers. This research Meta-synthesizes the existing literature on influencer marketing. Therefore, its purpose is to examine how Homophily attitude, physical and social attractiveness influence purchase intention, mediated by trustworthiness, perceived expertise, and parasocial relationship.
 
Methodology
This study employs a descriptive-correlational research design. The statistical population includes approximately 13,000 students at Urmia University who are users of smart mobile phones and augmented reality applications. To calculate the sample size, Morgan's table was used. According to the size of the population, and based on the random cluster sampling method, 384 people were selected as the sample. To carry out this research, a standard questionnaire was used. The data was analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM).
 
Findings
The findings indicate that trustworthiness acts as a mediator in the relationship between Homophily attitude, physical and social attractiveness, and purchase intention. Perceived skill mediates the relationship between Homophily attitude and physical and social attractiveness with purchase intention. Parasocial relationship mediates the relationship between Homophily attitude and physical and social attractiveness with purchase intention. In addition, the attitude of Homophily, physical and social attractiveness has a significant effect on purchase intention.
 
Conclusion
It can be inferred that social media influencer marketing strategies should be tailored according to individual attributes, characteristics, and types of influencers. Furthermore, recognizing the significance of media richness and naturalness in social media marketing will assist marketing managers in crafting effective campaigns.
 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

 
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Journal of Business Management
Volume 16, Issue 1
2024
Pages 216-237

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