Do they really get influenced? : A psycho-social study examining the presence of fashion SMIs on Swedish female consumers' fashion related purchasing decisions

Sammanfattning: Consumers now more than ever are concerned by a teeming pool of social and cultural powers-Social Media Influencers (SMI)-that influence their purchasing decisions. Fashion as one of the most extensive industries in the world has spurred the rise of fashion SMIs on Instagram. As such , identifying that previous literature has studied female and male consumers jointly, this thesis thus, by employing a psycho-social methodological approach and a Consumer Culture theory perspective, takes a rather explorative modus operandi in trying to understand the perception of Swedish female consumer toward fashion SMIs while identifying the factor related to fashion SMIs that contour Swedish female consumers perceptions and facilitate purchasing decisions. Some of the findings are 1) fashion SMIs that are always presenting their perfect self are considered mischievous, 2) fashion SMIs consumers to discover their true selves, 3) fashion SMIs expertise is highly valued when seen outside a collaboration, 4) fashion SMIs trustworthiness is enhanced when they also present the flaws of their lives,5)consumers are rational buyers and regardless of the great influence of fashion SMIs, they finalize their purchasing decisions based on their needs, product attributes, and opinions received from friends and family.