Lebohang G. Motaung

The fashion apparel industry constitutes a significant global economic force. Generation Y consumers represent a sought after target market to this industry as they are forecasted to have a disposable income outrivaling that of previous generations. Generation Y individuals are acknowledged as being amenable to the opinions of social media influencers, particularly those expressed by celebrity influencers, who often act as aspirational referents. Despite reports highlighting the relevance of the social media influencer strategy when targeting Generation Y, there remains a paucity of research on influencer marketing. Therefore, this study aims to ascertain the antecedents of Generation Y consumers’ perceived utility of celebrity influencers’ Instagram fashion apparel content and consequent fashion brand predispositions and purchase intentions. Fieldwork yielded 334 questionnaires from a convenience sample of Generation Y students registered at two universities in South Africa; data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that informational value, entertainment value, and trustworthiness account for more than 50% of the variance in Generation Y consumers’ perceptions of the utility of celebrity influencers’ Instagram fashion content. In turn, perceived utility, in conjunction with its determinants, accounts for 70% of the variance in their predispositions toward showcased fashion apparel brands, which collectively accounts for 65% of the total variance in their intentions to purchase those brands. These findings highlight celebrity influencers’ salient role in Generation Y consumers’ fashion brand choices and the necessity of incorporating celebrity influencer appeal into fashion apparel marketing communication strategies designed to engage with this generation.