(The Effect of Instagram Phenomenes on Buying in Integrated Marketing Communication)

Abstract

Purpose – Social media, which emerged with developing technology and changing communication tools in today's world, which is also called as the digital age, is not only just a media for people to spend time, but also has become a major marketing area thanks to businesses known as influencer that discover emotional ties with their followers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Instagram phenomena also known as influencer, on communication with followers on social media and their effect on purchasing. Design/Methodology/Approach – The population of this research, which utilizes the quantitative research method, consists of 401 undergraduate, graduate and doctorate students studying at Kafkas University in Kars, Turkey in the year 2019. The data was gathered through “Personal Information Questionnaire” and “How Social Media Phenomenons affect the followers purchasing preference” scale which was generated by Görgülü and Farajova (2017). The obtained data was analyzed through survey model and several results were extrapolated. Findings – In this study, the responses of the participants to the applied scale to the effect of Instagram phenomena on purchasing within the scope of integrated marketing communication were evaluated. As a result, it was seen that most of the participants check over the Instagram contents of the phenomena before brand preference and purchase decision, but they did not take these contents into consideration during the purchasing stage. Also, it was found that a mass except than the participants, was affected by the phenomena and the participants found that market phenomenon is necessary. Discussion – It was seen that a significant portion of the findings obtained from the research support the relevant literature. Additionally, several unique findings have been reached. In line with these results, various recommendations have been developed.