The Impact of Influencers on Online Purchase Intent

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the features that an influencer possesses or should possess and their impact on online purchasing intent for consumers. Method: Results were derived from two focus groups interviews with 12 different consumers from various countries. Conclusion: Key findings reveal that perceived authenticity, together with trustworthiness, credibility, legitimacy, the expertise of the influencers and their honesty are the main features that have an impact on the consumers and the online purchase intent. Additionally, the study reveals that there are other factors besides the upper mentioned features of the influencers, that affect the online purchase intent of the consumers- the need for the product, its price, the recommendations, and some others.