The impact of attitudes towards influencers amongst millennial fashion buyers - HOPE
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Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
The impact of attitudes towards influencers amongst
millennial fashion buyers
Patricia SanMiguel, University of Navarra, ISEM Fashion Business School*
Simone Guercini, University of Florence, Department of Economics and Management
Teresa Sádaba, University of Navarra, ISEM Fashion Business School
*Corresponding author: patricia.sanmiguel@isem.es
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to identify influencers and the way they affect the behavior of millennial buyers
in the process of consuming fashion goods. The paper examines the literature on opinion leaders, ranging
from the origins of the concept to its developments within the context of the Internet. The shift from influ-
ential to influencer and the different types of influencer are examined and certain hypotheses regarding the
role of influencers (including all the influential players) regarding fashion-buying millennials are presented.
The paper presents the results of qualitative and quantitative empirical research based on focus groups and
in-depth interviews with 22 university students. Findings from this research and their implications regarding
the different stages of the millennial buying process are discussed.
Keywords
buying behavior, influencer, opinion leaders, millennials, fashion.
1 Introduction and marketing strategies (Guercini and
Runfola, 2015; Guercini et al., 2018).
The first two decades of the twenty-first Most fashion items become fads by
century have witnessed a number of key a contagious effect. They are transmitted
revolutions in the digital world. The wide- both by recommendation and by imita-
spread use of the Internet, the develop- tion, in a similar manner to an epidem-
ment of virtual communities and the cre- ic. Social media play a fundamental role
ation of multiple devices (Castells, 2001) in this transmission, whilst technology
have transformed the way in which indi- helps us to capture them. The fashion con-
viduals interact and consume (Sádaba, sumer is increasingly informed, prepared
2015). Social media users can now connect and connected to the online community
with people from all parts of the world, es- (Sádaba, 2015). In this new scenario, the
tablish real-time conversations and share dissemination of fashion trends “does not
opinions on products purchased around exist as a force or an abstract idea, but is
the five continents (Mir-Bernal, 2014). materialized through the actions of dif-
In recent years, the social media has ferent agents and the mutual interaction
become a realm for participation and col- amongst all of them” (Martínez Barreiro,
laboration, one in which users have taken 2006, p. 201).
over the role of companies in the genera- Today, consumers have the ability
tion of content (Castells, 2001). Consum- to express their opinions, share their ex-
ers live on the Internet and spend an in- periences and make recommendations,
creasing number of hours throughout the not only within their immediate circles,
day surfing the net, leaving traces of ev- but within the entire online community
erything they do, the things they like most thanks to the arrival of blogs, social media
or the sites they frequent. In the fashion and smartphones (Sádaba & SanMiguel,
industry, the Internet presents some sig- 2014; SanMiguel & Sádaba, 2018). Some
nificant benefits regarding development, influentials (who previously only influ-
growth and business internationalization enced their closest social circles) become
https://doi.org/10.24434/j.scoms.2018.02.016
© 2019, the authors. This work is licensed under the “Creative Commons Attribution –
NonCommercial – NoDerivatives 4.0 International” license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).440 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
influencers, featuring a status and form awareness and the dissemination of new
of recognition amongst a community of products. These studies are usually car-
followers. So, with the generalization of ried out by communication and marketing
the Internet, new kinds of definitions re- agencies that evaluate their communities
garding influencers have appeared (Gillin, of followers and the engagement they gen-
2007; Johnson & Young, 2012; Ranga & erate, analyzing case studies of products
Sharma, 2014). with high sales volumes due to their rela-
Nowadays, when we talk about influ- tionship with influencers (Brown & Hayes,
encers, we mean celebrities, sportsper- 2008; Mediakix, 2016).
sons, bloggers, Instagramers, Youtubers In academic terms, with the advent of
and consumers who can help companies the Internet, most studies that address the
broaden their reach and brand awareness topic of opinion leaders have focused on
for a specific target audience that follows the identification of influentials on the In-
their content in an active way. Their influ- ternet (Agarwal et al., 2008; Akritidis et al.,
ence is based on the knowledge and pas- 2009, 2011; Song, et al., 2007). These stud-
sion they have regarding a specific theme. ies have largely been carried out within
The frequent and continuous use of social the fields of the Information Sciences, Web
media allows them to create a communi- Searching, Web Intelligence, etc.
ty and generate bonds of trust (Brown & Few studies have attempted to ana-
Hayes, 2008). In the case of celebrities or lyze the influence process through a more
athletes, their influence is also due to the qualitative perspective. There is a gap in
interest and admiration they generate the literature regarding the role that in-
amongst consumers. fluencers play during the buying process:
As has been shown in previous studies what is the influencer’s role in the gener-
(Sádaba & SanMiguel, 2014), fashion influ- ation of needs and product searches, re-
entials and influencers occupy a key posi- garding the evaluation of alternatives and
tion in the fashion industry through their in relation to purchase and post-purchase
blogs and social media. They assume the phenomena? And how can we typify in-
role of references, advisors, disseminators fluencers and the way they influence con-
and models of behavior regarding the use sumers?
and consumption of fashion products.
This study addresses the impact of 2.1 Objective
influencers, including all the influential The objective of the present study is to an-
players, on fashion consumption and an- alyze those players that influence univer-
alyzes the role of these opinion leaders in sity students during the process of buying
the consumption process in relation to fashion products (clothing and accesso-
millennials. The paper include two main ries) and the ways in which this influence
parts: 1. Review of literature on influenc- is exercised. To do this, we analyzed the
ers, from the origins of the concept to its following: 1) the fashion consumer profile
developments within the context of the In- of young university students; 2) how the
ternet.; 2. Qualitative and quantitative em- purchase process of young university stu-
pirical research through sample of focus dents works; 3) the different players that
groups and in-depth interviews based on influence each stage of the process; and
university students from Madrid (Spain) 4) the type of influence exercised by these
born between 1999 and 1991. players.
Before explaining the hypothesis of
the study, it is necessary to clarify the fol-
2 Research objective and hypotheses lowing:
First, we shall understand the pur-
Most current studies surrounding the in- chasing act as a process: the stages that a
fluence phenomenon are largely limited to consumer follows once he has a need or
highlighting the role that influencers have creates a need and until he buys a product
as opinion leaders in relation to brand and uses it.SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 441
Second, We shall focus on influential which they can collaborate through the
players: those people, media or brands creation of brand values and the dissem-
that exercise influence by changing opin- ination of messages (Harris & Rae, 2009).
ion or behavior in individuals. Third, we Multiple authors point out that eWOM
shall consider young university students: (Electronic Word of Mouth) has a positive
individuals residing in Madrid, between influence on the adoption of products,
the ages of 18 and 25, who are studying a impacting consumers’ awareness, interest
degree (postgraduate, master’s or doctor- and decision-making stages (De Bruyn &
ate) at a university in Madrid, Spain. Lilien, 2008, p. 153). Individuals need to
support their shopping experience with in-
2.2 Hypotheses formation from peers, with other personal
The general hypothesis of this research is experiences (Yoon & Han, 2012). However,
that young university students are influ- not all individuals share information and
enced throughout their buying process influence consumers in the same way.
by different influential players. This hypo Web 2.0 has allowed the creation and
thesis is made up of the following sub- distribution of content generated by us-
hypotheses: ers and it is within this context that the
›› H1: Despite the increase in influencers, influencer phenomenon has emerged.
close circles still play a key role in the According to the “Annual Social Network-
evaluation and purchase decision stag- ing Survey” produced by the Interactive
es. Advertising Bureau (2017), 85% of Internet
›› H2: The social groups that young peo- users between 16 and 55 years of age state
ple belong to continue to exercise a that they are still influenced through social
significant influence, despite growing media. They follow the profiles of those
individualism and the social trends that they consider to be “ahead” and they iden-
fashion proposes with the expression of tify with the group, seeking inspiration or
a unique and personal identity. imitating their style.
›› H3: Access to and purchase of products Opinion leadership studies began in
on the Internet is mostly through the the 1940’s with research by Katz & Lazars-
mobile devices that young university feld and Merton and Weiman, and have
students possess. continued up until the beginning of the
›› H4: Instagram emerges as the new so- second millennium. Since the 1950’s, there
cial media par excellence. has been talk of two types of leadership:
formal leadership, which is assigned by
the position of power held by certain peo-
3 The emergence of opinion leaders ple due to their social status or profession;
in the online age and informal leadership, associated with
people with “almost invisible and certain-
Internet has provided consumers with a ly unconscious leadership from person
new channel to disseminate their opin- to person, intimate, and daily:” what are
ions, reaching a greater number of peo- known as influentials (Katz & Lazarsfeld,
ple than traditional word-of-mouth could 2011, p. 140).
achieve (Mir-Bernal, 2014). These conver- Internet enables consumers to take
sations occur especially on social media on a central role in spreading trends and
such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram opinions about brands (Zhang, Zhao, &
and Twitter, where consumers provide or Xu, 2016) and, consequently, studies on the
seek information and advice about prod- role of consumers as influencers have in-
ucts they wish to buy (Choi, Chiu, & To, creased. In fact, some researchers have talk-
2011). ed about the return of influence (Schaefer,
Users share their opinions and expe- 2012). Therefore, the Internet represents a
riences, having an impact on: 1) consum- boom in influence and a diversification of
ers, who can advise or discourage the ac- the types of influencers.
quisition of a product; and 2) brands, with442 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
The diversification of influencers is a et al., 2007). It should be noted that many
consequence of the characteristics of the studies have been carried out by digital
Internet, which 1) democratizes the mes- marketing companies that specialize in
sage dissemination channels (creation influencer marketing (Klout, 2013; Solis,
of blogs and various platforms to share 2016; WOMMA, 2017). Studies in the ac-
content), 2) trains individuals to create ademic field have also been developed.
contacts with people from anywhere in Most have focused on what influencers
the world, expanding networks and 3) in- are, marketing strategies with influenc-
creases the speed of message dissemina- ers and types of collaborations between
tion and increases the power of virulence brands and influencers (Galeotti & Goyal,
(Jove, 2011). 2009; Uzunoǧlu & Misci Kip, 2014; Watts &
Within this context, the term “influ- Dodds, 2007). However, there are few stud-
encer” has begun to be used to designate ies that analyze how influencing impacts
all those people who have the capacity from the point of view of consumers, as
to influence the online environment and opposed to the perspective of marketing
whose power of influence is recognized agencies or the influencers themselves.
by a community of followers and a large In 1999, the RoperASW and Burson-
number of Internet users. The Internet Marsteller companies conducted a study
transforms influentials (unofficial leaders) of online opinion leaders in the USA and
into influencers, opinion leaders with a called them “e-influentials” (Smith, 2007).
public and official status within their com- A few years later Burson-Marsteller (2005)
munities of followers on social media. developed new research on opinion lead-
In view of these changes, companies ers in the field of technology: Next Gener-
have had to adapt and find other ways to ation of Influencers. The company Tapin-
reach consumers, taking into account the fluence analyzed the effectiveness of sales
fact that consumers increasingly demand through marketing with influencers and
close and transparent communication published a report entitled The Future of
with companies (Cabosky, 2016). Within Influencer Marketing (2016). Mediakix, an
this context, the role of influencers is es- influencer marketing agency, developed
sential for spreading trends and bringing The COM’S Guide to Influencer Marketing
brands closer to consumers (Zhang et al., (2016), in which it classifiedinfluentials
2016). Consequently, new marketing through social platforms. The Altimeter
strategies known as influencer marketing, company published The Influencer Mar-
which stands for “the art and science of keting Manifesto: Why the Future of Influ-
involving people who are influential on encer Marketing Starts with People and
the Internet to share brand messages with Relationships Not Popularity. This study
their audience, in the form of sponsored notes: “the difference is, and this is im-
content” (Sammis et al., 2016, p. 12). That portant, that influential people have the
is to say, it is the means by which com- same weight as their peers or ‘people like
panies send messages to their audience me’, which is among the highest forms of
through other consumers who share their influence that are mentioned among con-
story and generate interest. sumers in one study after another” (Solis,
It should be noted that popularity can 2016, p. 1).
be a by-product of influence or authority. The Word of Mouth Marketing Asso-
But influence cannot be measured sole- ciation, in its The WOMMA Guide to Influ-
ly by the size of a community. Influence encer Marketing (2017), defines influence
means having the ability to cause an effect as the ability to cause or contribute to
or change a form of behavior (Solis & Web- another person taking action or changing
ber, 2012). opinion/behavior. “An influencer is some-
Research about the role of influencers one who has greater than average poten-
regarding the decisions of consumers has tial to influence others. The people who
continued to develop (Danny Brown & influencers affect are influencees, defined
Fiorella, 2013; Kiss & Bichler, 2008; Song as a person or group of people who takeSanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 443
action or change opinion/behavior as the colleagues and neighbors who share opin-
result of exposure to information provided ions and advise. These close circles would
by an influencer. Influencer Marketing is be the influentials defined by Lazarasfeld
the act of a marketer identifying and en- anf Katz.
gaging influencers to share information Nowadays, the dissemination of fash-
with influence in pursuit of a business ion trends occurs through a process of “vir-
goal” (WOMMA, 2017, p. 4). ulence”, which is an idea also suggested by
With the arrival of the Internet, influ- Wiswede (1971). “It is a pattern of fashion
ence began to be measured through “Big dissemination ‘by contagion’ and a form
Data.” Although there are multiple vari- of propagation such as AIDS or epidem-
ables, an analysis of influentials usually ics” (Martínez-Barreiro, 2006, p. 189). This
focuses on three variables (Armano, 2011; process of dissemination by contagion
Burke, 2016; Klout, 2013; Solis, 2017): was explained in a meticulous manner by
›› Reach: the size of an influencer’s follow- Gladwell (2014), who emphasized the ex-
ing or audience size on any given social istence of individuals that accelerated the
channel. Within that reach, the engaged processes of dissemination. Literature has
reach is the size of audience within this called these opinion leaders “influentials”
following that will actually engage with (Katz & Lazarsfeld, 1955; Keller & Berry,
the posts. 2003; Weimann, 1994).
›› Relevance: the alignment of the inter- The fashion process is understood as
ests of an influencer – content that is a form of collective behavior and a social
published and what it offers – with the mechanism of change, through which
brand, the sector and its audience. an object or trend is transmitted from its
›› Resonance: the quality of the influen- creation and introduction to society as a
tial-follower connection and its ability whole, accepting that product or tendency,
to influence the behavior and purchas- until its obsolescence (Weimann, 1994).
es of the community of followers. In the course of these creations and
disseminations, many players are involved
Influencers are usually categorized into (Crane, 1999): brands, designers, advertis-
four groups according to the size of their ers, agencies, magazines, etc. However, in
community variables (Burke, 2016; Klout, the present study we will focus on the role
2013; Solis, 2017): of influencers, which are currently of great
›› Celebrities: actors, artists, sportsper- importance in the new consumer para-
sons and other social media stars, they digm. Influencers are especially important
are also called mega influencers. They amongst millennials and post-millennials.
usually have more than one million fol- Therefore, the present study is focused
lowers. on the younger members of Generation Y,
›› Mega influencers: bloggers, instangram- Spanish university students born between
ers or experts in a subject who reach 1999 and 1991. Members of Generation Y,
more than 1 million followers. often called Millennials (Cantoni & Tardi-
›› Macro-influencers: executives, journal- ni, 2010; Oblinger, Oblinger, & Lippincott,
ists, bloggers, Instagramers and You 2005; Reeves & Oh, 2008), frequently they
Tubers who reach around 1 million–10K are defined as people who were born be-
followers. tween 1982 and 2002. We should point out
›› Micro-influencers: customers or em- that, as noted by Reeves and Oh (2008),
ployees who reach around 10K–1K fol- there is no agreement regarding the range
lowers. of years that defines millennials, so some
authors talk about post-millennials when
In order to analyze the impact of the dif- referring to those born at the beginning of
ferent players that influence consumer 2000.
decisions, the influence of the media and Millennials are the first generation to
surrounding circles was also analyzed. We grow up surrounded by digital media and
understand “close circles” to mean friends, are accustomed to buying and socializing444 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
online (Howe & Strauss, 2009; Reeves & tified as a driving force of online shopping
Oh, 2008; K. T. Smith, 2011). Millennials (Fromm, Butler & Dickey, 2015; Howe &
are the largest generation group since the Strauss, 2009; Smith, 2011).
baby boomers, constituting a key target Millenials are a key target of influencer
for fashion companies (Portolese Dias, marketing (Pophal, 2016; Solis, 2016). Due
2003; Smith, 2011; Smith, 2012). It should to the great use of social media (Facebook,
be noted that this generation has been de- Instagram, YouTube, Twitter), especially
nominated in multiple ways: Digital Na- amongst the youngest millennials – those
tives; Gen.com; Generation Next; Genera- born in the late 90’s-, the influencer market-
tion Tech; Generation Why; Generation Y; ing phenomenon has impacted in a special
Generation 2000; Instant-Message Gener- way on these consumers. Some research
ation (Cantoni & Tardini, 2010; Rapetti & highlights how social media have become
Cantoni, 2013). their main source of information, which
The massive advent of Information means they look for information created
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by consumers like them before making a
has significantly impacted people every- purchase (Raines, 2002; Howe and Strauss,
day life (Rapetti & Cantoni, 2013). This 2009; Smith, 2011; Smith, 2012).
impact produces differences between Mil-
lennials and older generations, therefore
Generation Y has been analyzed by several 4 Methodology and results
researchers. The implications of the adop-
tion of new technologies in everyday life The present study features a qualitative
and education have been analyzed mainly and quantitative methodology based on
from three points of view: 1) enthusiasts, focus groups and in-depth interviews.
who think that new technologies make ›› First, the data from the focus groups are
young people more capable and have dif- presented where the role of influencers
ferent cognitive abilities; 2) stakeholders, is most focused.
who analyze the effects of ICT on young ›› Second, we analyze the in-depth inter-
people, as they can be more violent and views from a qualitative perspective.
suffer addition or harassment; 3) critics, ›› Third, we analyze the in-depth inter-
who criticize the lack of localized studies views from a quantitative perspective
and analysis (Cantoni & Tardini, 2010). in order to offer a fashion consumer
This research can provide data on the test- profile and some initial data in relation
ing of this generation in the case of Spain. to influencers.
Several studies describe millennials
as: happy, optimistic, confident, accepting The present research differentiated be-
of authority, cooperative, happy to play tween the buying process of men and wom-
as a team, hopeful, goal- and achieve- en, which is why the focus groups were
ment-oriented, civic-minded, inclusive, carried out separately, one with women
self-sufficient, technology savvy, con- and the other with men. The results of the
nected, and open to change and diversity analysis are shown comparatively between
(Cantoni & Tardini, 2010; Howe & Strauss, the genders. From a historical, sociological
2009; Portolese Dias, 2003; Raines, 2002). and marketing point of view, the use of, in-
Smith (2011) points out that millen- terest in and consumption of clothing and
nials are an essential ingredient in the accessories shows great differences be-
development of electronic commerce, as tween both sexes, men and women. These
they have grown up socializing and buying differences were especially evident during
online (Smith, 2011, p. 489). Millennials the nineteenth and twentieth centuries,
consider computers and mobile phones but have been present throughout history
to be essential tools. Through them they (Kruger & Byker, 2009; Mitchell & Walsh,
communicate, access digital newspapers, 2004). Researchers such as Browne and
use social media and can buy anywhere Kaldenberg (1997), Auty and Elliott (1998)
in the world, which is why they are iden- and O’Cass (2004) have shown that wom-SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 445
en are more involved and more interested the key role of opinion leaders or influenc-
in fashion than men. The decision-making ers in the transmission of messages.
behavior of men and women in relation to This research technique has been
fashion goods and style presents consider- used frequently in market studies in or-
able differences (Mitchell & Walsh, 2004). der to define the social images of products
Rocha et al. (2005) pointed out how and brands and analyze the opinions, as-
gender was a key factor in fashion con- sessments and reactions of consumers, es-
sumption studies; gender had a high im- pecially before introducing a new product
pact on lifestyle attributes because women onto the market (Gil Flores, 1993; Morgan,
and men had different expectations about 1996).
fashion products. Inequalities regarding This qualitative research technique
consumption were also analyzed by Catalá may be used to obtain information about
(2007) and Crane (2012). Recent AIMC re products or even about a concept, service
search (2015) points out that men prefer or institution. The researcher seeks to dis-
qua lity and brands, while women give cover the focus group’s perceptions, feel-
greater importance to trends and sales. ings, attitudes and ideas.
4.1 Focus groups 4.2 Sample of focus groups
Focus groups are a research technique As has been shown in multiple studies, the
preferably used in the field of s ocial scienc- consumption of information and fashion
es. It is a “non-directive” technique whose products is very different between both
purpose is the controlled production of a sexes (Auty & Elliott, 1998; Browne & Kald-
discourse by a group of subjects that are enberg, 1997; Crane, 2012; Kruger & Byker,
brought together for a limited period of 2009; O’Cass, 2004). Therefore, in order to
time in order to discuss a certain topic pro- obtain quality information and facilitate
posed by the researcher (Gil Flores, 1993, discussion in the focus groups, individuals
p. 120). The technique of focus groups be- were separated by gender. Two focus groups
gan in the 1940’s, with Paul Lazarsfeld and were held: one with only young female uni-
Robert Merton (Onwuegbuzie et al., 2011), versity students and the other made up of
researchers who analyzed and discovered young male university students.
Table 1: Data regarding the research focus groups
Data regarding focus groups
Number of focus group conducted: 2 (one with men and another with women)
Number of participants in the focus group: in the first 10 women, in the second 9 men
Dates when women group were held: Thursday, May 4, 2017, at 7:30 p. m
Dates when man group were held: Thursday, April 27, 2017, at 7:30 p. m.
Duration: 60 minutes each group
Data focus group university women Data focus group university men
Women Age Education Man Age Education
Code Code
W 01 21 Law M 01 23 Business
W 02 22 Pharmacy M 02 19 Psychology
W 03 20 Teaching M 03 24 Labour Relations and Human Resources
W 04 19 Tourism M 04 23 Fashion MBA
W 05 19 Advertising and Public Relations M 05 25 Corporate Communication
W 06 22 Management M 06 19 Managment
W 07 20 Psychology M 07 19 Advertising and Public Relations
W 08 21 Protocol and Organization of Events M 08 20 Marketing
W 09 24 Political Science M 09 23 Agricultural Engineering
W 10 19 Sports Science
Source: Compiled by authors446 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
The selection of the sample was carried The descriptors were linked to the cat-
out in a standard manner, appealing to the egories discussed during the session: what
convenience of obtaining a sample that fashion is and its importance at a day-
represents multiple profiles: fashion-lov- to-day level; ways of consuming fashion;
ers and non-fashion-lovers; age range; brand preference, platforms, styles; in-
different universities and degrees. Within fluential players in everyday fashion con-
the homogeneity, a certain heterogeneity sumption; and the use of social media and
was sought in terms of sociodemographic their relationship with influencers. Subse-
characteristics, areas of study and interest quently, comparisons of the answers were
in fashion, in order to increase the breadth made within each discussion group and
of experiences, perceptions and opinions between the two focus groups of different
that could be contributed by the partici- genders, in order to identify the consump-
pants. tion processes,profiles of consumers, and
The focus groups were held in a meet- the influence path.
ing room at the University of Navarre in The most significant data extracted
Madrid, an open space that facilitated during the focus group dynamics empha-
conversation amongst all the members of sized the relationship and differences be-
the group and permitted the participants tween both genders and the different char-
to see one another. The discussion group acteristics of the participants (Table 2).
was recorded with a tape recorder and Today both men and women give im-
filmed for only 15 minutes, with the aim of portance to fashion. It represents their
not inhibiting the participants, since they own image and the way of presenting
might feel thatvideo was an intrusive me- themselves to the world: “I like fashion, it’s
dium, as indicated by Morgan (1996). The a way of expressing myself ” (W04). They
characteristics of the focus groups that are concerned about the opinion that oth-
were held are summarized in Table 1. ers may have of their dress and personal
style. Women give more importance to the
4.3 Analysis and results of focus groups differentiation of their personality through
The analysis is situated at a descriptive fashion: “I have my own style, I do not like
level and is presented through a narra- to dress like the rest of my friends” (W10).
tive report, as advised by Gil Flores (1993). Most men dress like their group of friends
Following the recommendations of On- does and do not have as much need for
wuegbuzie et al. (2011), the analysis was differentiation.
expounded in three stages: 1) the data was The influence of negative comments
fragmented into small units, assigning is greater amongst women than amongst
them descriptors; 2) the fragments were men.”Most of the time we dress in a simi-
grouped according to the established de- lar way, although if I buy some shoes and
scriptors; and 3) a report was developed my friend doesn’t like them, I don’t care”
expressing the content according to the (M07). They buy fashion alone in a phys-
established themes and descriptors. Fur- ical manner, but accompanied in an on-
thermore, based on the guidelines and line manner. “I tend to be alone when I buy
recommendations of Morgan (1996) and something, but most of the time while I’m
Onwuegbuzie et al. (2011), some micro- buying I send a picture to my sister or my
analysis of the gathered data was car- best friend; they know me well and they
ried out. For this reason, on occasion our usually advise me” (W08).
presentation of the data includes certain Regarding social media: men, in gen-
statements such as “the whole group eral, are more passive users and spend
agreed …,” “all but one use …,” “the ma- fewer hours on them, but both see content
jority buys …” These statements were daily through this application. Men follow
made during the group discussion, with some female influencers because they like
the moderator also carrying out a micro- to see images of pretty girls: “I don’t follow
analysis of some variables that were being many influencers, although from time to
discussed. time I see profiles of the best-known influ-SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 447
Table 2: Main results from the focus groups
Theme Main result Male behavior Female behavior
Interest and importance For both genders, fashion is Some men dress out of necessity, Women give more importance to
of fashion important; it is a way of but do not give importance to fashion as a symbol of belonging
expressing your personality fashion to the group and differentiation
of their personality
Influenced by Close circles
Family and by the group more The pressure of the group is
globally. greater for women. Friends
can determine the use or not of
a certain look
Why do you buy clothes and On impulse, I create a need Only when I really need On impulse, because I like it
accessories? something or because it’s fashionable
Visit online stores or fashion Weekly Only when I need to buy Daily or weekly
related websites? (except for those men who really
like fashion, who would visit
websites more frequently)
Buy online Once a semester Specific products Once a month, in sales and
(such as sneakers) promotions. Buy more than one
product in each order. Websites:
ASOS, Wallapop, Amazon …
Go shopping Shop alone. What influences When they want to buy a Usually alone, sometimes with
them the most is the price necessary product or replace a close friend.
a garment. Buy for special
occasions – with someone close
or somebody familiar
Social media Instagram main social media Passive users and spend fewer Active users
Daily use hours than women
Follow some influencers Follow many influencers
as a source of inspiration
Sharing information about To ask for an opinion, through With mothers or couple With close friends or sisters
purchases WhatsApp
Regarding influencers Follow influencers on Instagram Follow few influencers, but They follow many influencers
and YouTube. especially related to sports or in all areas. Influencers influence
Influencers are sources of some passion such as fine food, them by inspiring them, gener-
information. cars or photography. ating new needs and serving as
Massification of influencer They do not have much impact role models
Little consumer loyalty towards when it comes to buying clothes
the influential
Source: Compiled by authors
encers … they are very pretty girls” (M08). Men do not care much if the influencers
Only those men with the greatest interest have contracts with brands and do not
in fashion and lifestyle claimed to follow show much interest in the personal life of
profiles of male influencers frequently; the influencers. By contrast, most of the
but, in general, influencers don’t make any women indicated an interest in the per-
impact when they buy. Women follow in- sonal life of the influencers. Women follow
fluencers for inspiration, to be informed influencers of all kinds, related to fashion,
of the latest trends or for gossip. Men and lifestyle, sports, gastronomy, travel, ac-
women both believe that many influenc- tresses … They believe that many influ-
ers work with brands as if they were mod- encers lose their personal style because of
els and that they wear clothes from some their collaborations with brands and that
brands because they are paid to do so. they become advertisements: “some influ-448 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
encers have lost their personal style, brands 4.4 Qualitative analysis of in-depth
give them a lot of money, but they lose their interviews: focus on influencers
personality and they all end up being the After the focus groups were held, some
same” (W03). They follow important influ- 22 in-depth interviews were conducted in
encers in order to stay up to date. They like order to analyze and deepen our under-
photographs, but they know that they will standing of the opinion held by young uni-
not be able to buy many of the products versity students regarding influencers and
that influencers wear. They like to follow the different players that influence them
small-scale influencers that look more like during the process of purchasing clothes
them and have a style that they can imi- and accessories.
tate more easily. For them, influencers are In-depth interviews are a qualitative
a source of inspiration and information research technique “in which one person
about new brands or trends. (the interviewer) requests information
Men and women emphasize that, to- from another or from a group (interview-
day, there is a certain massification of in- ees, respondents) to obtain data regarding
fluencers due to social media: “Many peo- a particular aspect. It presupposes, there-
ple want to be influential to get brands to fore, the existence of at least two persons
give them products or earn a bit of ‘money’, and the possibility of verbal interaction”
not everyone gets to be influential, I guess it (Gil Flores, 1993, p. 167).
depends on luck, a nice body and skill using The steps regarding this qualitative
social media” (W06). Among the skills to access to our knowledge of social reality
be influential, the following aspects were can be determined by the following points
highlighted: the importance of being pho- (Olabuénaga & Ispizua, 1989, p. 30): 1) en-
togenic, the quality of photographs, having tering the process of social construction,
an attractive and fun personality for vid- reconstructing the concepts and actions
eos, and being well connected with other of the studied situation; 2) describing
famous influencers. Participants in the fo- and understanding the detailed means
cus groups emphasized two ideas: 1) they through which subjects embark on mean-
do not always follow the same influencers ingful actions and create a world of their
or pay them equal attention; they often get own and of others; 3) knowing how to cre-
tired of seeing the photos or the life of the ate the basic structure of experience, its
same person for a long time; 2) the con- meaning, its maintenance and participa-
sumer seeks creativity and authenticity in tion through language and other symbolic
the contents published by the influencers, constructions; 4) making use of in-depth
which is why each person follows certain descriptions, reducing analysis to areas
influencers that they like and are often not limited to experience, through immersion
known, although they also continue to fol- in the contexts in which it occurs.
low famous influencers because everyone
talks about them. 4.5 Characteristics and sample
It should be noted that impulse pur- of in-depth interviews
chases and the acquisition of garments The in-depth interviews proposed for the
that are not necessary are increasing. The present study were semi-structured inter-
majority of these impulse purchases are views Each interview lasted between sixty
caused by continuous visits to the web- and ninety minutes and they were divided
sites of brands and by the impact of influ- into two parts. First, a broad conversation
encers on Instagram, the result of gener- took place regarding the participants’ in-
ating a constant desire for products and terest in fashion, the fashion concept, the
new ideas. In addition, the appearance ways young people buy things, their per-
of new pages or apps such as 21Buttons sonality and their environment (how their
(www.21buttons.com) facilitates finding friends, hobbies, characteristics of their
information more easily and results in the social environment were defined, groups,
consumption of the same products as those friends, etc.). In addition, they talked about
posted by influencers on social media. the question of influencers (what theySanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 449
Table 3: Data regarding the in-depth interviews
Data in-depth interviews
Number of in-depth interviews conducted: 22 in-depth interviews (11 with women and 11 with men)
Dates: The interviews were conducted in the month of May 2017
Duration: between 60 and 90 minutes
Case Gender Age Education
W01 Woman 22 Journalism
W02 Woman 23 Architecture
W03 Woman 19 Civil engineering
W04 Woman 24 Political science
W05 Woman 25 Teaching
W06 Woman 22 Law
W07 Woman 22 Journalism
W08 Woman 21 Protocol and organization of events
W09 Woman 25 Pedagogy
W10 Woman 20 Children’s education
W11 Woman 22 Nursing/Telecommunications
M12 Man 21 engineering
M13 Man 25 Marketing
M14 Man 24 Architecture
M15 Man 21 Literature and philosophy
M16 Man 21 Law
M17 Man 19 Advertising and PR
M18 Man 23 Industrial engineering
M19 Man 21 Economics
M20 Man 24 Business management
M21 Man 20 Medicine
M22 Man 23 Industrial engineering
Source: Compiled by authors
thought of them, what they served for and that broadly represent university students.
who they followed). Second, more specif- In this respect, the respondents featured
ic questions were asked, obeying an order different ages, areas of study and different
(pragmatic level), content (semantic level) degrees of interest in fashion (Table 3).
and general guidelines (normative level)
required in a standard questionnaire, with 4.6 Findings from the qualitative
the objective of obtaining systematized analysis of the in-depth interviews
and equal information in the form and The following is a summary of the results
order of all the interviewed cases (Ber- and findings from the interviews and a
ganza & Ruiz, 2005). The interviewer was brief comparison of different aspects re-
a similar age to that of the interviewees, garding men and women.
an aspect that may have helped to over- With regard to the activities that most
come the distance between the researcher young university students pursue in their
and the interviewee and may have favored free time, we might highlight the follow-
communication (Guercini, 2014). ing: listening to music, surfing the Inter-
For this purpose, some 22 persons, net, and being with friends and family. We
11 female university students and 11 male can confirm that the Internet plays an es-
university students residing in Madrid, sential role in their day-to-day lives. All the
were selected. The selection of these 22 cas- university students interviewed claimed
es was carried out for convenience. The to constantly use their mobile devices,
sampling of typical cases provided infor- and heavily use WhatsApp and the social
mation from certain cases judged represen- media, Instagram. In most cases the par-
tative of the whole (Estrada & Deslauriers, ticipants claimed that the latter is their
2011), with the aim of obtaining profiles favorite social media and they also stated450 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
Table 4: Main results from the in-depth interviews
Theme Main result Male behavior Female behavior
Instagram Favorite social media They like to see photos; Generates wishes and needs
Average of 5 hours a day it entertains them
Opinion about influencers Opinion about influencers They don’t have an opinion Influencers are a showcase
about influencers; they do for brands, although they are
not care much for influencers becoming more superficial
because they do not help them They like how they dress and
at all they find them inspiring
Through influencers they
discover new trends and ideas
about how to dress
Impact of influencers regarding Generates needs and a desire Influencers have no influence on They would like to look like
purchase to be like them them when they go shopping their influencers, because they
always wear the latest fashion
Favorite fashion influencer Jon Kortajarena, Mariano Maria Pombo, Lovely Pepa,
Di Vaio, Sergio Carvajal and Dulceida, Mypeptoes,
Marc Forné Inés Arroyo, Marta Lozano and
Mery Turiel
Influence of their close circles Take their opinion into account Mother, Couple Mother, Sisters, Best friends
and come to them for advice
They trust their opinion and
value the fact that they tell them
the truth
Source: Compiled by authors
that they spend an average of 5 hours a an interviewed) and so they take their
day using the app. Most young women in- opinion into account and come to them
terviewed declared that “Instagram often for advice. On the other hand, it is a desire
generates wishes and needs.” to belong to the group that makes them
During the in-depth interviews the look alike and influence one other. In ad-
types of influencers were explained and dition, two of the cases analyzed declared
examples of Spanish influencers were put that they almost never ask for advice and,
in place so that they could identify what if they do, it is not to question if something
type of influencers they followed and is attractive or ugly; they are more interest-
which influenced them the most. ed in whether a garment suits them or not.
Women believe that influencers are All but one of the men interviewed
becoming more superficial and the con- were influenced by the opinions of their
tent seems to be very similar amongst all close circles, because they consider that
of them. Despite this, through influencers they are people who care about them and
women discover how to dress success- always want the best for them. Within this
fully and this influences them when they circle, the role of mothers and girlfriends
buy. Men do not usually have any opinion as influential people is highlighted.
about influencers because they do not
care for them much. Men state that in- 4.7 Quantitative analysis of the
fluencers have no power over them when interviews: focus on purchasing
they go shopping. processes
When asked about the influence of As a result of the quantitative analysis of
their close circles, two ideas stood out. On the 22 in-depth interviews, through a set
the one hand, mothers, sisters and closest of closed questions we were able to discuss
friends advise them the best, because they the following: A) behavior on the Internet;
already know them. They state this be- B) profile as fashion consumers; C) impact
cause “as they love us, they would never let of influentials on the purchasing process.
us go poorly dressed on the street” (wom-SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 451
A Behavior on the internet bought things in stores before sales and
Interviewed university students use com- still do not carry everyone; “Late majority”
puters or laptops mainly at home (68% I am one of the latest trends when I already
only use it at home). Some 64% stated that have many people from my environment
they use a laptop or PC around 1 to 3 hours and I buy in sales; “Lagger” I wear things
a day. Some 68% of the cases analyzed do that have been in fashion and in stores for
not use tablets, and when these are used, a long time, and I find it hard to carry new
it is mainly at home. Regarding the use of things and risk.
Smartphones, 100% of cases stated that With respect to the adoption of trends
they always have them with them and 77% in relation to the Rogers curve (2010),
use it actively for over 6 hours a day. only 4% of the cases were defined as in-
Social media. Only four individuals novative, 13% of them were early adopt-
stated that they did not have Instagram ers, 36% formed part of the early majori-
and 73% were dynamic users of this social ty, 18% were part of the late majority and
media, actively interacting and sharing 27% were laggards. In relation to the in-
content. Some 50% stated that they use terest that fashion produces, seven of the
Instagram between 3 and 6 hours a day. respondents (32%) declared that it gener-
Regarding Facebook, only one individu- ated little interest and the remaining 68%
al claimed not to have an account, whilst stated that it generated interest or consid-
54% were dynamic users of this social me- erable interest. Half of the sample (50%)
dia. Some 18% declared that they use Face- claimed not to be fashion-lovers, whilst
book between 3 and 6 hours a day, while 40% of the respondents stated that they
45% used it for less than an hour a day. gave little importance to fashion.
In relation to Snapchat, 86% of cases Some 27% buy clothes and/or ac-
claimed not to use this social media and cessories every 15 days and highlight the
only two of the cases did so in an active periods of discounts and promotions as
manner. The use of Twitter was also limit- key purchasing moments. With regard to
ed, with 77% of cases claiming not to use expenditure on clothes per month, ten of
Twitter and only two doing so actively. Fi- the cases spend between 0–50 euros, seven
nally, 64% watched videos on YouTube, al- between 50–70 euros, three between 100–
though only four of the respondents used 150 euros and two more than 150 euros.
this platform in an active manner, inter- The majority of students (64%) buy clothes
acting with the content. When asked about and accessories with their parents’ money.
their favorite social media, 68% claimed Sometimes parents give them money and
that it was Instagram, whilst 27% claimed other parents go shopping with their chil-
it was Facebook. dren and pay for the products. 36% of the
students claimed to purchase most of the
B Profile of fashion consumers clothing and accessories with the money
To operationalize the consumer profiles in earned from their work. They usually work
relation to the Roger model, we construct- in part-time jobs or sporadic jobs (eg,
ed sentences to define each of the five some women claimed to be nannies or
profiles and then asked the participants waitresses). Although the most expensive
to define themselves by selecting one of products or clothes for special occasions,
them (self-definition) and explain why such as weddings or parties, are paid by
they identified with that profile. The sen- their parents. The most frequent moment
tences to define the Roger’s profiles were for buying is during the weekend (82%)
the followings: “Innovative” I wear what and the purchases take place mainly in
I like and I usually wear things that lat- high streets and with the brands of large
er become fashionable; “Adoptant early” retailers.
I am one of the first in my group to wear Only three of the cases stated that they
something new that nobody has yet, but did not buy online; the rest bought online,
who has seen it in magazines or influenc- especially during sales or promotions, at
ers; “Early majority” I am one of those who night or from their laptop. Only a minori-452 SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460
Table 5: The impact of fashion influence players on the purchasing process
Stage Action Influencer
1st – Need Help me build my own personal style by inspiring me Close circles
(or generation of the desire to buy) Macro influencer
Mega influencer
Copying their looks Close circles
Mega influencer
Macro influencer
Help me discover new brands or products Close circles
Macro influencer
Mega influencer
Generate new needs Close circles
Micro influencer
Macro influencer
2nd – Product search When I look for a product I look at the clothes and brands people wear Close circles
Macro influencer
Micro influencer
Who do you ask fashion advice from? Close circles
Macro influencer
Mega influencer
3rd – Evaluation of alternatives When deciding on choosing to buy one thing or another what influenc- Close circles
es you the most? Macro influencer
Mega influencer
Changing your opinion based on your advice or photos you see Close circles
Macro influencer
Micro influencer
4th – Purchase How much their opinion influences when it comes to buying Close circles
Macro influencer
Mega influencer
5th – Post purchase Who do you tend to compare and ask for opinion your purchases with? Close circles
Macro influencer
Micro influencer
You would change some of your purchases because of the opinion they Close circles
give you or the images you see Macro influencer
Micro influencer
Who do you tell or show what you usually buy? Close circles
Micro influencer
Macro influencer
Source: Compiled by authors
ty of the respondents (31%) bought online shopped, this online research being car-
through their mobile phones. ried out mainly through their Smartphone
We can highlight the fact that 82% buy (60%). Most of these cases (86%) granted
most frequently in physical stores. Some considerable importance to the price and
59% stated they bought for reasons of ne- they defined themselves as loyal to the
cessity, and mainly in stores and shopping brands they like. On the contrary, only 22%
centers. 36% because they were looking gave importance to the method of produc-
for products, or they were visiting a store tion of the garments and whether these
or they were looking at websites and de- methods were sustainable.
cided to buy a product in a more impul-
sive manner; only 4% declared that they C Impact of Influencers on the
purchased fashion in order to socialize. It Purchasing Process
is noteworthy that 55% declared that they The processes of identification-creation
gave importance or considerable impor- of a need, desire to buy whimsically, the
tance to the opinion of other individuals. search for products and payment, are
Some 50% of the cases could be defined stages that are mainly performed alone.
as customers who researched online and On the contrary, the stages of evaluation,SanMiguel et al. / Studies in Communication Sciences 18.2 (2018), pp. 439–460 453
purchase and post-purchase, are carried do not have the end goal of wanting to sell
out in the company of other individuals, you a product.
emphasizing evaluation with friends, and Although all university students find
the purchase and search for feedback with confidence in the recommendations made
the couple. by their group and imitate their style, it is
During the stages of the purchasing important to note how women also receive
process, different aspects were analyzed confidence from what they see amongst
and those players who were most influ- influencers, who serve as a point of refer-
encial at each moment (media, celebri- ence and an indicator that something is
ties, mega influencers, macro influenc- fashionable. On the contrary for men, in-
ers, micro influencers and close circles) fluencers do not provide a source of con-
were identified, as indicated in Table 5. fidence and self-esteem. Men prefer the
We operationalized the influence using a advice of their mothers or partners.
1–5 scale, where 1 means no influence and Regarding influencers players amongst
5 completely influenced. millennials, both influencers and people
The results obtained were present in in close circles (family and friends) have a
all stages and circumstances analyzed: re- great deal of weight in decision-making be-
spondents were most influenced by their fore young people consume clothing and
close circles, followed by medium influ- accessories. When analyzing the stages of
encers and small influencers. All data and the purchasing process or the customer
tables are presented in Appendix 1. journey, we can observe that influencers
have a greater role in the stage of inspira-
tion and during the search for products.
5 Conclusions, limitations On the contrary, close circles are the ones
and future research that influence more clearly in the stages of
evaluation, purchase and post-purchase.
Interviewed, both men and women, are Hypothesis 3 and 4 has been validat-
consumers strongly influenced by social ed. The most commonly used devices
media and influencers. Through these are smartphones. Smartphones are used
channels they generate wants and create throughout the day, especially to be con-
needs throughout the time they spend nected through WhatsApp and social me-
viewing content online. They are hyper dia. Among the latter, Instagram is the
informed, constantly discovering new most popular social media used. Universi-
products and seeking information about ty women use it more actively by posting
them through social media, leading them pictures and stories, while men use it in a
eventually, in many cases, to the store. In more passive way. Both genders spend an
relation to the hypothesis of the investiga- average of 5 hours a day using this means
tion we can point out: of social media.
Hypothesis 1 and 2 has been validat- Following our analysis of the inter-
ed. The influence of the close circles (fam- views and focus groups, we can conclude
ily and friends), the ones that Lazarsfeld that the great influencers are linked with
and Katz (1955) analyzed explaining the monetary arrangements with brands and
role of influentials, is stronger in the entire are seen as a new advertising media and as
purchasing process of the analyzed young models of aspirational behavior.
millennials than the influence of digital in- In terms of managerial implications,
fluencers. communication companies and fashion
By contrast, small influencers, espe- brands must make the right choice of in-
cially people from close circles, are associ- fluencer when creating a campaign to
ated with a passion for fashion as a hob- boost their marketing strategy, since each
by, not as a profit-making exercise. Their type of influencer plays a greater role in
recommendations are made with genuine each of the different stages of the purchas-
sincerity and they make them in your best ing process.
interests. They know and advise you andYou can also read
