Exploring Factors Influencing Turkish Consumers' Online Purchase Decisions Based on Influencer Marketing

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the psychological, cultural, and socioeconomic factors influencing Turkish consumers’ online purchase decisions in response to influencer marketing. It focuses on how authenticity perceptions, brand-influencer congruence, emotional connections, and culturally embedded values shape consumer behavior. The research particularly addresses how parasocial bonds and culturally specific norms—such as collectivism, beauty ideals, and ethical concerns—impact trust and purchasing intent. By contextualizing influencer marketing in Turkey’s high-context, relational culture, the study contributes to an enriched understanding of consumer psychology in emerging digital economies. The study adopts a mixed-methods design to provide a multidimensional understanding of Turkish consumers’ responses to influencer marketing. Data collection included digital ethnography (5,784 comments across five social media platforms), a large-scale online survey (N=1,248), and in-depth interviews (N=20). Structural equation modeling was employed to test the relationships between perceived authenticity, trust, parasocial interaction, brand-influencer congruence, and purchase intent. The qualitative data were thematically analyzed to uncover cultural patterns in influencer evaluation, while the quantitative analyses validated hypothesized pathways, including mediating roles of trust and congruence in shaping purchasing behavior. The results indicate that perceived authenticity is the strongest predictor of purchase intent (β = 0.64, p < 0.001), with trust and brand-influencer congruence acting as significant mediators. Parasocial relationships, particularly in Turkey’s relational communication culture, also strongly influence trust transfer and decision-making. Cultural elements such as Turkish beauty ideals, emotional communication patterns, and ethical sensitivity (e.g., boycott consciousness) significantly shape influencer credibility. Visual evidence, lifestyle-product alignment, and transformation narratives enhance message acceptance. The study reveals generational and gender-based variations in consumer responsiveness, highlighting the strategic importance of cultural resonance and value alignment in influencer campaigns. This research offers a novel, culturally embedded framework for understanding influencer marketing in emerging markets by synthesizing psychological and sociocultural theories. Unlike existing studies that generalize Western-centric findings, it contextualizes influencer-consumer dynamics within Turkey’s high-context, collectivist culture. The study reveals culturally specific credibility mechanisms—such as historical consistency and aesthetic alignment—and introduces new dimensions of parasocial interaction grounded in relational norms. It contributes to both marketing theory and practice by illustrating how authenticity, ethics, and symbolic values function together in shaping digital trust and purchase behavior in non-Western contexts, offering actionable insights for localized brand strategies.

Keywords: Influencer marketing; Turkish consumers; perceived authenticity; parasocial interaction; source credibility; cultural values; online purchase intent; social responsibility; aesthetic preferences

DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/94-09

Publication date: May 30^th 2025