A Comparative Study of the Effect of Instagram Influencer on Millennial and Generation-Z Purchase Intentions

Abstract

Social media is one such tool of communication that has transformed the way people used to connect globally. People are using Instagram for brand promotions and hiring micro-celebrities to endorse. They are known as Instagram influencers. The current study focuses on identifying the change in consumer behaviour and factors affecting consumer intention to make purchase decisions through Instagram influencers in Generation Z and Millennials before and during the COVID-19 time. The Theory of Reasoned Action is used for the theoretical framework. The research targeted the female population divided into two generational cohorts named Millennials and Generation Z with 400 samples. The results indicated that Parasocial Interactions, Consumer reviews on social media, and Followers vs. Following Ratio are the factors that dominantly affect consumers' purchase intentions for these two groups. Credibility, perceived usefulness, and Familiarity are recessive factors. Future research would be conducted with different age groups, gender, and theoretical models.