Opinion leaders on Instagram and their role in the intention to purchase tourist stays: Proposal of a theoretical influence model

Abstract

With the advent of social media and the growth of Instagram in recent years, a new key figure has emerged the influencer. Due to his effectiveness and his ability to persuade, more and more companies are calling on these modern-day opinion leaders to shape their image, promote their products or even encourage customers to buy. Instagram is now the preferred platform for marketing teams, who attach a particular importance to this platform in their marketing mix. The choice of the influencers for these companies is crucial in the success of their marketing strategies. That is why marketing research is increasingly focusing on the attributes of influencers and the mechanisms they use to influence the decision-making process of their followers. This is about understanding the process by which consumers adopt the tourist trips recommended by influencers on Instagram. The objective of this article is to propose a conceptual model, based on the SOR (stimuli - organism - response) model, which aims to theoretically examine how the stimuli generated by influencers through their publications impact the purchase intention of the followers. Thus, the visual presentation of the content and its informative value are retained as powerful stimuli shaping the perception that followers have of the influencer. In addition, this model suggests considering the credibility of the influencer and the perceived homophily between the influencer and his audience as mediators in the influencer-follower relationship. This global and systemic model allows a better understanding of the phenomenon of influence in a sector hitherto little covered by the literature: tourism.

JEL Classification: M31, M37, L83

Paper Type: Theorical research