Food Marketing through Social Media Influencers: The Impact on Millennial Consumers’ Purchase Intentions

Abstract

Manuscript type: Research paper
Research aims: The current study investigates the influence of social
media food influencers and the moderating effect of millennial consumers’
gender on buying intention.
Design/Methodology/Approach: Following a quantitative research
approach, 453 responses were collected using a non-probability
convenience sampling technique. Partial least squares–structural equation
modelling (PLS-SEM) and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis
(fsQCA) approach were applied to assess the proposed measurement and
structural models.
Research findings: The results show that food influencers with familiarity,
attractiveness, and credibility positively affect millennial consumers’
buying intentions. However, no evidence of the moderation effect of
gender on buying intent was found. The fsQCA results confirm the
significance of all the source characteristics, including product matchup
as determinants, and provide the configurations that can lead to
purchasing intentions.
Theoretical contribution/Originality: To the best of our knowledge,
this study is the first to explore the impact of food influencers and
the moderating effect of gender on the buying intention of millennial
consumers by using SEM and fsQCA.

Research limitations/Implications: This study does not look into the
direct effect of customers’ emotions, which might play a significant role
in their decision-making. Future studies may evaluate the relative impact
of additional components, such as the emotions and socio-economic
characteristics of millennials.
Practical/managerial implications and/or Social/economic implications:
This study offers theoretical and practical implications for scholars
and marketers. It extends our understanding of associative learning,
suggesting that pairing a brand with positive stimuli can elicit favourable
responses towards the brand. Furthermore, this study provides insights
for millennials to understand how food markets operate, by whom, and
how food influencers influence them.