The Impact of Influencer Advertising on Adolescents’ Purchase Intention of Luxury Brands: The Mediating Role of Social Comparison

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of influencer advertising on adolescents’ purchase intention of luxury brands, with a particular focus on the mediating role of social comparison. In recent years, the rapid expansion of social media and the growing influence of social media influencers have significantly reshaped adolescents’ consumption patterns; hence, examining the psychological and social mechanisms involved in this process is of considerable importance. The present research employed a quantitative and survey-based design. The statistical population consisted of high school students in Tehran, from which 300 respondents were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected through standardized questionnaires and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that influencer advertising exerts a direct and significant effect on adolescents’ purchase intention of luxury brands. Moreover, social comparison plays a meaningful mediating role in this relationship, reinforcing adolescents’ inclination toward luxury brand consumption. The results further suggest that influencer advertising not only shapes adolescents’ consumer attitudes but also intensifies their tendency toward conspicuous consumption through social comparison. These findings hold practical implications for luxury brand marketing managers as well as educational and cultural policymakers in managing adolescent consumer behavior.

Keywords: influencer advertising, social comparison, purchase intention, luxury brands, adolescents, social media marketing