Skip to main content

The Impact of YouTube and TikTok Influencers in the Customer Journey: An Empirical Comparative Study Among Generation Z Users

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Marketing and Smart Technologies

Abstract

The present paper aims to analyze the impact of YouTubers and TikTokers influencers in the customer journey phases, among Generation Z users. To do so, a quantitative deductive empirical study was carried out. The respective data collection was made via an online questionnaire survey, obtaining a valid sample of 529 participants. The results show that both type of influencers might influence the customer journey, but mainly in the first stages of the process. It was also found that YouTubers tend to have a higher influence in each of those stages than TikTokers. Although the topic of social media influencers has already been studied in several research papers, no study was found addressing separately the stages of the customer journey decision-making process, neither comparing influencers of both platforms in that context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Statista page https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/. Last accessed 2022/08/1 (2022)

  2. Auxier, B., Anderson, M.: Social media use in 2021 page https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/. Last accessed 2022/07/11 (2022)

  3. Leggett, B.R.: Social media influencers: an examination of influence throughout the customer journey (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Alabama) (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Freberg, K., Graham, K., McGaughey, K., Freberg, L.A.: Who are the social media influencers? A study of public perceptions of personality. Publ. Relations Rev. 37(1), 90–92 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Zeng, J.: 5 marketing strategies—and missed opportunities—during COVID-19 American Marketing Association page https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/influencer-marketing-grows-up-in-2020, last accessed 2022/07/15 (2019)

  6. Abidin, C.: Aren’t these just young, rich women doing vain things online? Influencer selfies as subversive frivolity. Social Media+ Society 2(2), 1–17 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Barker, S.: What’s the difference between celebrities and influencers—and which does your brand need? Page https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/02/influencers-vs-celebrities.html. Last accessed 2022/08/1 (2021)

  8. Dimock, M.: Defining generations: where millennials end and generation Z begins. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/. Last accessed 2022/07/15 (2019)

  9. Pew Research Center page The Whys and Hows of Generations Research: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2015/09/03/the-whys-and-hows-of-generations-research/. Last accessed 2022/07/15 (2015)

  10. Cervi, L.: Tik Tok and generation Z. Theatre Dance Perform. Train. 12(2), 198–204 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Francis, T., Hoefel, F: ‘True Gen’: generation Z and its implications for companies. Mckinsey & Company (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Djafarova, E., Bowes, T.: ‘Instagram made Me buy it’: generation Z impulse purchases in fashion industry. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 59, 102345 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Dolot, A.: The characteristics of Generation Z. E-mentor 2(74), 44–50 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Angus, A., Westbrook, G.: Top ten consumer trends 2022, Euromonitor webpage, https://go.euromonitor.com/white-paper-EC-2022-Top-10-Global-Consumer-Trends.html. Last accessed 2022/09/08, released on 2022/01/18 (2022)

  15. CRITEO: Relatório Sobre a Geração Z, Criteo webpage, https://www.criteo.com/br/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/08/18-GenZ-Report-BR.pdf. Last accessed 2022/09/08, released on 2018/08/18 (2018)

  16. Kemp, S.: Digital 2022: global overview report, WeAreSocial webpage, https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-global-overview-report. Last accessed 2022/09/08, released on 2022/01/26 (2022)

  17. Aran-Ramspott, S., Fedele, M., Tarragó, A.: YouTubers’ social functions and their influence on pre-adolescence. Comunicar. Media Educ. Res. J. 26(2), 71–80 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Pereira, S., Moura, P., Fillol, J.: The youtubers phenomenon: what makes Youtube stars so popular for young people? Fonseca J. Commun. 17(2), 107–123 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Bossen, C.B., Kottasz, R.: Uses and gratifications sought by pre-adolescent and adolescent TikTok consumers. Consumers 21(4), 1747–3616 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Haenlein, M., Anadol, E., Farnsworth, T., Hugo, H., Hunichen, J., Welte, D.: Navigating the new era of influencer marketing: how to be successful on Instagram, TikTok, & Co. California Manage. Rev. 63(1), 5–25 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Kennedy, M.: ‘If the rise of the TikTok dance and e-girl aesthetic has taught us anything, it’s that teenage girls rule the internet right now’: TikTok celebrity, girls and the Coronavirus crisis. Eur. J. Cult. Stud. 23(6), 1069–1076 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Montag, C., Yang, H., Elhai, J.D.: On the psychology of TikTok use: a first glimpse from empirical findings. Front. Public Health 9, 62 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Datareportal page https://datareportal.com/essential-tiktok-stats. Last accessed 2022/07/11 (2022)

  24. Anderson, K.E.: Getting acquainted with social networks and apps: it is time to talk about TikTok. Library Hi Tech News 37(4), 7–12 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Court, D., Elzinga, D., Mulder, S., Vetvik, O.J: The consumer decision journey. McKinsey Quart. 3(3), 96–107 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Richardson, A.: Innovation X: Solutions for the New Breed of Complex Problems Facing Business. Wiley (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Lemon, K.N., Verhoef, P.C.: Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. J. Mark. 80(6), 69–96 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Følstad, A., Kvale, K.: Customer journeys: a systematic literature review. J. Service Theory Pract. (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  29. De Keyser, A., Verleye, K., Lemon, K.N., Keiningham, T.L., Klaus, P.: Moving the customer experience field forward: introducing the touchpoints, context, qualities (TCQ) nomenclature. J. Serv. Res. 23(4), 433–455 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Roggeveen, A.L., Grewal, D., Schweiger, E.B.: The DAST framework for retail atmospherics: the impact of in-and out-of-store retail journey touchpoints on the customer experience. J. Retail. 96(1), 128–137 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Kranzbühler, A.M., Kleijnen, M.H., Verlegh, P.W.: Outsourcing the pain, keeping the pleasure: effects of outsourced touchpoints in the customer journey. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 47(2), 308–327 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Demmers, J., Weltevreden, J.W., van Dolen, W.M.: Consumer engagement with brand posts on social media in consecutive stages of the customer journey. Int. J. Electron. Commer. 24(1), 53–77 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Schweidel, D., Bart, Y., Inman, J., Stephen, A., Libai, B., Andrews, M., Rosario, A., Chae, I., Chen, Z., Kupor, D., Longoni, C., Thomaz, F.: How consumer digital signals are reshaping the customer journey. J. Acad. Market. Sci. 1–20 (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Guerreiro, C., Viegas, M., Guerreiro, M.: Social networks and digital influencers: their role in customer decision journey in tourism. J. Spatial Org. Dyn. 7(3), 240–260 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Hamilton, R., Ferraro, R., Haws, K.L., Mukhopadhyay, A.: Traveling with companions: the social customer journey. J. Mark. 85(1), 68–92 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Pop, R.A., Săplăcan, Z., Dabija, D.C., Alt, M.A.: The impact of social media influencers on travel decisions: the role of trust in consumer decision journey. Curr. Issue Tour. 25(5), 823–843 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Shen, S., Sotiriadis, M., Zhang, Y.: The influence of smart technologies on customer journey in tourist attractions within the smart tourism management framework. Sustainability 12(10), 4157 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Gomes, M.A., Marques, S., Dias, Á.: The impact of digital influencers’ characteristics on purchase intention of fashion products. J. Global Fashion Market. 1–18 (2022)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Sudha, M., Sheena, K.: Impact of influencers in consumer decision process: the fashion industry. SCMS J. Indian Manage. 14(3), 14–30 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Kozinets, R., Patterson, A., Ashman, R.: Networks of desire: how technology increases our passion to consume. J. Consumer Res. 43(5), 659–682 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Jiménez-Castillo, D., Sánchez-Fernández, R.: The role of digital influencers in brand recommendation: examining their impact on engagement, expected value and purchase intention. Int. J. Inf. Manage. 49, 366–376 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Marôco, J.: Análise Estatística Com o SPSS Statistics. Report Number. Pero Pinheiro, Portugal (2011)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge financial support from Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal (IPS) and National Funds of the FCT–Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology within the project “UIDB/04007/2020”. Authors also gratefully acknowledge the help of IPS Marketing Research course students in gathering the primary data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paulo Duarte Silveira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Silveira, P.D., Sandes, F., Xara-Brasil, D. (2023). The Impact of YouTube and TikTok Influencers in the Customer Journey: An Empirical Comparative Study Among Generation Z Users. In: Reis, J.L., Peter, M.K., Varela González, J.A., Bogdanović, Z. (eds) Marketing and Smart Technologies. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies, vol 337. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9099-1_26

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9099-1_26

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-19-9098-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-9099-1

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics