Does online ideal self-matter? Consumer perceptions of online brand advertisement

• Main Authors: Aimee Peta Waterson, Lebogang Mototo, Tinashe Chuchu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ümit Hacıoğlu 2021-08-01
• Series: International Journal of Research In Business and Social Science
• Subjects: online; ideal self; brand attitude; attachment; consumers; purchase intention
• Online Access: https://www.ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs/article/view/1258

The internet and online space have created numerous platforms for users to communicate and interact, where each platform provides access to different sources of information. The purpose of the study was to investigate the online ideal self and its influence on brand attitude and attachment towards consumer purchase intention. A unique conceptual model was developed to test the proposed hypotheses of the study. Social media is one of the leading communication platforms that have emerged in the online space. Social media allows consumers and brands to interact in an informal manner from anywhere in the world. The study adopted a quantitative approach utilizing the survey method. Data was collected from 300 consumers. The data was then processed in SPSS 24 for descriptive statistics and AMOS 24 for hypotheses testing. A key finding suggests that social media consumers’ attachment is considerably dependent on their attitudes towards those brands. Brands can use social media to receive real-time feedback from customers as well as track this feedback. Implications emerged from the findings and further research direction is proposed.