Fitness Influencers. Impact on Purchase Intentions and Attitudes of Instagram Users

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Relevance, research questions and objectives
• Course of investigation
• Conceptual framework: influencer marketing
• Origins, goals and classification in the scientific context
• Types of digital influencers
• Social media platforms
• Blogs and micro blogs
• Online forums and communities
• Social networking sites
• Media sharing platforms
• General information
• Instagram
• Success factors and limitations of influencer marketing
• Overview of success factors and limitations
• Influencer-/brand fit
• Digital fitness influencers in Germany
• German fitness industry
• German fitness influencers on Instagram
• Purchase decision process and advertising impact of influencer marketing in the German fitness industry
• Influencing factors on purchase behavior
• S-O-R-model overview
• Promotional posts on Instagram as stimuli
• Reference groups
• Attitudes
• Purchase decision process
• Phases of purchase decision processes
• Purchase intention
• Advertising impact
• Model overview
• Measuring advertising impact: attitudes and purchase intention
• Empirical analysis
• Objectives and research methodology
• Operationalization of constructs
• Results
• Discussion
• Recommendations and further steps
• Summary and outlook

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master thesis explores the impact of digital fitness influencers on attitudes and purchase intentions of Instagram users. Specifically, it aims to analyze the influence of the fit between the digital fitness influencer and the advertised brand on advertising effectiveness. The study investigates the importance of influencer-/brand fit as a driver for positive attitudes towards the source, the advertisement, and the brand itself.

• The impact of digital fitness influencers on attitudes and purchase intentions
• The role of influencer-/brand fit in advertising effectiveness
• Measuring the influence of influencer-/brand fit on attitudes towards the source, the advertisement, and the brand
• Exploring the relevance of influencer-/brand fit for the German fitness industry
• Identifying implications for managing collaboration with digital influencers

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The thesis begins with an introduction, outlining the relevance, research questions, and objectives of the study. It then delves into the conceptual framework of influencer marketing, exploring its origins, goals, types of influencers, and relevant social media platforms, particularly focusing on Instagram. The chapter then examines the success factors and limitations of influencer marketing, emphasizing the concept of influencer-/brand fit. Chapter 3 examines the German fitness industry and the role of digital fitness influencers on Instagram. Chapter 4 explores the purchase decision process and advertising impact of influencer marketing in the German fitness industry, focusing on influencing factors on purchase behavior, attitudes, and purchase intentions. The chapter also examines the role of promotional posts on Instagram as stimuli and reference groups. The fifth chapter presents the empirical analysis of the study, outlining the objectives, research methodology, operationalization of constructs, results, and discussion. Chapter 6 focuses on recommendations and further steps, and the final chapter summarizes the findings and provides an outlook on future research directions.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The thesis focuses on the impact of digital fitness influencers, particularly in the context of influencer marketing. It explores the influence of influencer-/brand fit on advertising effectiveness, examining attitudes and purchase intentions of Instagram users. Key concepts and terms include: influencer marketing, digital influencers, fitness, attitudes, electronic word-of-mouth, purchase intention, advertising impact.