The Golden Age of Social Media Influencers: Luxury Brands in China.

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to consider the evolution of Digital Marketing, in recent years. Companies all over the world have begun to exploit the Social Media Marketing strategies in order to create a closer relationship with consumers. In this field, new figures have been born, the Influencers. These figures are present on various social networks (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, G+, Pinterest, etc.) as they belong to the millennium generation, and operate in different fields, like fashion, food, fitness, travel, music and so on. They are much sought after by firms in all sectors, as they are able to influence behaviour, opinions and purchases, thanks to their credibility and visibility on the web. The thesis will take into consideration the effects and approaches of Influencer Marketing, comparing two strongly different cultures, the Asian one (China above all), and the Western world. The influencer marketing is fundamental in a society like the Chinese one, where internet is exploding and roughly 700 billion people are online users, owning digital accounts. China has a collective cultural background and strong sense of hierarchy; Chinese people trust Key Opinion Leaders more than western people both offline and online. Thus, the Chinese boom takes on increasing importance for western companies that want to have businesses in this country. Many obstacles must be faced, starting from the language, to the cultural distance and the strong restrictions to the use of internet and social media (Wechat and Weibo). Some cases will be taken into account to give evidence to the research.