Sustainable Influencers, Hot or Not? : An Exploratory Study of the Perceptions towards Sustainable Fashion Influencers on Instagram

Sammanfattning: Background: Given consumers’ rising awareness of the environmental damages caused by the fashion industry, brands now discuss sustainability in relation to their products often through using social media platforms. With the ambition to shift consumers’ purchasing behavior, firms strive to collaborate with influencers to endorse their sustainable products. Following the increased discussion about sustainability and sustainable fashion online, a new niche of influencers has appeared. However, it remains unexplored how the Swedish Gen Z perceives this category of influencers. Purpose: The purpose of the research is to understand how the Swedish Gen Z perceives sustainable [fashion] influencers on Instagram. More precisely, the study attempts to explore how this generation of consumers responds to these influencers with regards to their trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, brand fit, (un)sponsored content, and communication style.  Method: In order to fulfill the purpose of the research, a qualitative study was conducted. The research is of exploratory nature and empirical data was collected through four focus group interviews. The respondents were chosen through a purposive sampling technique, including Swedish Gen Zers who have an active Instagram account. Conclusion: The study found that the Swedish Gen Z responds favorably to sustainable influencers on Instagram. Particularly, this generation supports thrifting influencers the most as they foresee the future of sustainable fashion to be in the hands of this category.