Title: The impact of social media influencers on Kuwaiti women's brand attitude and consumption behaviour

Authors: Doha Saleh Almutawaa; Hamad AlWazzan

Addresses: College of Business, Australian University (AU), West Mishref, Kuwait ' Public Relations Department, Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), West Mishref, Kuwait

Abstract: Nowadays, internet connectivity has permeated every aspect of our lives. Increased global accessibility to the internet resulted in numerous day-to-day operations being conducted online, ranging from personal browsing and interpersonal communications to e-learning and e-business activities. Social media platforms have particularly gained worldwide prominence. Not only do they facilitate cross border interactions, but also with the rise of social media influencers, social media platforms have become a central hub for forming, maintaining, and developing consumer-brand relationships. Despite the myriad marketing strategies that rely on social media influencers to communicate with current and potential consumers, the impact of social media influencers on individuals in diverse cultural contexts remains under explored. It is vital for businesses to understand consumers' sentiments towards and relationship with social media influencers prior to investing in influencer marketing. This paper employs a qualitative methodology consisting of fifteen semi-structured interviews to explore the impact of social media influencers on Kuwaiti women's brand attitude and consumption behaviour. The findings reveal that social media influencers impact Kuwaiti women's brand perceptions, purchase intentions, and choices. Three key themes are identified, namely, brand authenticity vs. inauthenticity, brand association vs. disassociation, brand resonance vs. dissonance.

Keywords: social media; influencers; consumer behaviour; brands; Kuwait.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMB.2024.141983

International Journal of Islamic Marketing and Branding, 2024 Vol.6 No.2, pp.143 - 158

Received: 15 Apr 2024
Accepted: 20 May 2024
Published online: 04 Oct 2024 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article