• 한국의류산업학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.200-211
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• 2021

This study examines the effects of fashion influencers' body types (realistic versus ideal body types) on self-expression, self-representation, and recommendation intentions, as mediated by familiarity toward influencers. Although fashion influencers lead to a positive consumer response compared to traditional advertisements, previous research on the effects of fashion influencers on consumers is limited. Thus, this study tests the role of consumers' socio-psychological aspects in understanding how and why fashion influencers affect consumers' behavioral intentions associated with self-expression, self-representation, and influencer recommendation. A total of 180 women in their 20s and 30s participated in the survey. The responses were collected after showing them stimuli featuring fashion influencers with either ideal or realistic body shapes. The data were analyzed using SPSS18.0 for descriptive statistics, and AMOS 18.0 for confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results showed that participants who were shown realistic body types perceived familiarity, which generated positive effects on self-expression, self-representation, and recommendation intentions. Hence, the effects of influencers' body types on recommendation intention are mediated by familiarity. Self-expression and self-representation intentions also increase influencer recommendation intention. Comparatively, participants who were shown ideal body types only induced higher self-representation intention, which increased their recommendation intention. The current findings can help fashion marketers select the appropriate influencers who fit their target customers as promotional models, as well as to induce changes in consumers' behavioral intention.

• 산경연구논집
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.35-51
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• 2021

Purpose: As the digital environment has expanded opportunity for consumers to acquire information from social media and social network services(SNS), With this environment, influencer has not only promoted products, but also participated in distribution and influencing on their followers. Despite the increasing interest in influencers, there has not been enough research on the structure of fashion influencer, relationship of immersion and purchase intention. This study examined the effects of fashion influencers' characteristics to the immersion of relationship with followers and purchase intention. Research design, data and methodology: For data collection, a pilot survey and the final survey were conducted. The pilot survey data was conducted to 50 female SNS users following fashion influencers. Based on the pilot tests, questionnaire was revised and the final survey was conducted online from august 22 to September 1, 2019 to female SNS users who have followed fashion influencer. A total of 408 data were collected, and exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equational modeling techniques were employed for the data analyses using AMOS 26.0 and SPSS 26.0. Results: First, five factors were extracted for the fashion influencers' characteristics: interactivity, similarity, reliability, expertise and attractiveness. Second, fashion influences' reliability, expertise, similarity, interactivity have a positive (+) effects on relationship immersion; however, attractiveness has no effect on relationship immersion with followers and fashion influencer. It was also determined that relationship immersion had positive (+) influences on purchase intention. The relationship immersion has been found to have a partially mediated effect and similarity has complete mediated effects between interactivity, reliability, and expertise of fashion influencers and purchasing intentions. In terms of fashion opinion leadership, it was found to have a significant influence on purchase intention only for low fashion leadership groups. Conclusions: The present study found the structural relationships among the influencer characteristics, relationship immersion and purchase intentions to provide framework for succeeding research. This research revealed academic association of intention of purchasing through use of fashion social media and fashion influencer marketing. The results also showed the practical implications that fashion influencers' expertise and reliability perceived by their followers are key determinants to success in influencer marketing.

• 한국의류산업학회지
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

Virtual influencers, who are emerging as new players in digital marketing, impact consumers' purchase intentions. They promote positive perceptions and mimetic consumption of specific brands or products through interactions with followers. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of the characteristics of virtual influencers on the purchase intention for fashion products through the consumers' mimetic desire. As characteristics of virtual influencers, five factors were set: reality, attractiveness, professionalism, trustworthiness, and curiosity. Data for analysis were collected through an online questionnaire from the 8th to the 15th of August 2023, and 268 data points in total were analyzed using SPSS and Process Macro 4.3. The results of the study showed that the characteristics of virtual influencers all positively affected mimetic desire and purchase intention for fashion products. Moreover, it was found that mimetic desire has a mediating effect between the five characteristics of virtual influencers and the purchase intention for fashion products. Mimetic desire fully mediates the relationship between reality and the intention to purchase fashion products, and partially mediates the relationship between attractiveness, professionalism, trustworthiness, and curiosity and the purchase intention for fashion products. These findings further enhance the understanding of the relationship between virtual influencers and consumer behavior and identify the relationship between virtual influencers, mimetic desire, and fashion product purchase intentions. Consequently, leveraging virtual influencers strategically in digital marketing, the fashion industry can amplify positive brand perceptions, drive consumer engagement, and ultimately foster increased purchase intent.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제47권2호
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• pp.295-310
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• 2023

The current virtual fashion influencers are a hyper-real prototype in that it has a higher presence than the virtual humans in the past. Also, they are leading fashion trend with more than tens of thousands of followers on social media. This study investigated the physical and social presence of virtual fashion influencer perceived by consumer and verified effects on evaluation attributes of influencers and the relationship maintenance behavior. A total of 321 Korean women in their 20s and 30s who have Instagram account participated in the online survey. The data was analyzed using AMOS 23.0. The results revealed that the physical presence had a significant impact on attractiveness of virtual fashion influencers. In case of social presence had a positive effect on friendliness and reliability of virtual fashion influencers. In addition, evaluation attributes of virtual fashion influencers' friendliness, attractiveness and reliability in the order of influence on relationship maintenance behavior. This study suggested that the development of social presence of virtual fashion influencers with friendliness and attractiveness is more important than the physical presence that has already reached a high level.

• 한국의상디자인학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.65-81
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• 2023

The purpose of this study is to interpret the semantic actions of body image symbolized in body expression images shown by micro-influencers body profiles to understand the body profile phenomenon of the MZ generation. As a result of collecting body profile data from micro-influencers, the body profile image types of female influencers on SNS were classified into four types, Athletic, Slim body, Natural, and, Glamorous. Images representing each type were analyzed using the Roland Barthes' Myth model analysis frame. As a result of the semantic analysis, influencers were found to be very active and bold, emphasizing certain body parts according to the type of body image they pursue. Fashion is strategically used to emphasize these aspects. It was found that the ideology of a 'subjective modern woman' was commonly expressed through emphasis on visual signs. This study is meaningful in that it can indirectly lead to the understanding the fashion culture expressed by the MZ generation and provide consumer information and essential data that can be used for communication strategies in the fashion market.

• 한국의상디자인학회지
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.85-96
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• 2022

The MZ Generation likes watching YouTube videos produced by senior influencers despite the big age gap. In addition, the final goal of collaborative YouTube videos between senior influencers and brands is to increase sales. Accordingly, this study examined this interesting phenomenon and aimed to provide useful insights for creating YouTube videos targeting the MZ generation. This study was divided into two parts. Study 1 explored the viewers' perceived benefits by looking at the YouTube video comments of a senior fashion influencer, and then classified the perceived benefits into informational, psychological, and hedonic benefits. Study 2 analyzed the relationships among the viewers' perceived benefits (informational, psychological, hedonic benefits), attitude toward a brand, and behavior intention. Study 2 found that only informational benefits, among the three perceived benefits, enhanced attitudes toward a brand, thereby affecting behavior intention. Based on the results of two sub-studies, this study highlights the importance of informational benefits to maximize the marketing effects employing the collaborative YouTube videos of senior influencers and brands.

• 한국의류산업학회지
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.27-35
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• 2019

Fashion Influencer of Instagram get a lot of attention from the public, and they play a major role in shaping peoples' taste. This study attempts to analyze the fashion design of fashion influencer in Instagram. The data was collected from Apr. 15th to April 30th, 2017, and the pictures were collected from May, 2016 to April, 2017. Total of 460 pictures were collected based on the number of "likes". The method of study was content analysis and the cross tabulation analysis and frequency using SPSS Statics 24 Based on the above results, influencers were mostly models that have many "likes" on their photos. Many of influencers were wearing black, white, or blue dresses that do not have any patterns. Many others were wearing indigo, black, or white jeans with T-shirts. In summary of the above contents, influencer also found out that the materials of their clothes were both hard and soft, and that the casual style was the most popular among influencer, and that influencer also liked elegant, modern, mannish, or sexy looks. Therefore, through this study, it was found that the fashion design of influencer had a unique fashion image. Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Blake Lively are the representative influencers of fashion instagram. Gigi Hadid was a casual and manish image, Kendall Jenner was a casual and sexy image, and Blake Lively was an elegant image.

• 한국의류산업학회지
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.719-730
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• 2022

This study explored the impact of beauty influencers' characteristics and product characteristics on new product acceptance intentions and studied the mediating effects of consumer trust in this process. A survey was conducted from February 22, 2021, to February 28, 2021, with Gen Y and Gen Z women in China, and 379 questionnaires were analyzed. The conclusions are as follows: First, the characteristics of beauty influencers are authenticity and expertise, similarity, attractiveness, interactivity, familiarity, and trustworthiness; product characteristics are cost, image, product quality, product perception, sales promotion, and sustainability. Second, partial beauty influencers' characteristics and partial product characteristics have a positive impact on consumer confidence and acceptance intention of the new product. Third, the mediating effect of consumer trust in the process by which beauty influencers' characteristics and product characteristics influence the intention of new product acceptance was determined. Therefore, when beauty companies use influencers in marketing, it is necessary to understand their characteristics, consider their professionality and authenticity, examine their reliability, and assess their ability to form connections with images and viewers that match their products. Additionally, to increase the acceptance intention of new products, companies should present the price of high-quality products, product sensibilities, and corporate images of products and establish measures that can positively affect consumers' acceptance intention of new products by combining them with the characteristics of beauty influencers.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제45권1호
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• pp.56-72
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• 2021

This study examines the effect of influencer characteristics (attractiveness, reliability, expertise, and intimacy) and consumer need satisfaction (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) on attachment to influencer, content flow, and purchase intention. The moderating effect of gender was also investigated. Survey data collected from 515 male and female Instagram users were submitted for analysis. The research findings are as follows. First, the reliability and intimacy of influencers had a positive effect on attachment to influencers whereas attractiveness and intimacy had positive effects on content flow. Second, the relatedness and competence that consumers felt during the use of influencer content had a positive effect on attachment to influencers whereas the autonomy had a positive effect on content flow. Third, the attachment to influencers increased the intention to purchase products introduced by influencers via content flow. Fourth, there were some gender differences in the relationships of attachment to influencer, content flow, and purchase intention. Implications were suggested based on the results.

• 패션비즈니스
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.116-132
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• 2022

Fashion marketing activity performed by social media influencers (SMIs) has grown exponentially in the past years. Research regarding their marketing power is often discussed in the context of sponsorship disclosure, in order to overcome obstacles of impending regulations that may endanger the authenticity SMIs are perceived to have compared to traditional marketing agents. Upon recent heterogeneous findings, a netnographic approach was taken to examine the actual sponsored posts of SMIs on Instagram. Based on two representative cases that received media coverage, a qualitative analysis of 1,058 comments on Instagram showed customer inspiration and informational social influence regardless of sponsorship disclosures present. Regarding customer inspiration, high frequency of comments including choice imitation intentions was observed. Under certain conditions, customer responses were focused on the SMI's expertise irrespective from the brand being endorsed. Findings show future implications from both an academic and industry-focused perspective for future potential of SMIs in fashion marketing.