ABSTRACT

This study represents a novel attempt to investigate the cascading effects of COVID-19 perceptions onto behavioural patterns towards fashion brands on Instagram and across two generations tech-native vs tech non-native) in a Sub-Saharan African context. We drew our study on a sample of 338 Instagram users that experienced fashion brands on Instagram in two Sub-Saharan African countries: Uganda and Nigeria. We used partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothetical model. We found that COVID-19 perception positively predicted enjoyment and usefulness, leading to more satisfaction with fashion brand accounts on Instagram and hence greater intention to follow and recommend those accounts. Finally, running a multigroup analysis (MGA), we found the effects of COVID-19 perceptions pronounced into both intentions to follow and intention to recommend via the sequence of mediators: enjoyment and satisfaction were only valid amongst the tech-native generational cohort. Our research suggested a new generational categorisation based on technology nativity – offering a new direction of generational studies in digital marketing communications.

摘要

这项研究代表了一种新颖的尝试，旨在调查在撒哈拉以南非洲背景下，COVID-19 感知对 Instagram 上的时尚品牌以及两代技术原生与技术非原生的行为模式的级联效应。我们以 338 名 Instagram 用户为样本进行了研究，这些用户在两个撒哈拉以南非洲国家（乌干达和尼日利亚）在 Instagram 上体验过时尚品牌。我们使用偏最小二乘结构方程模型 (PLS-SEM) 来测试假设模型。我们发现，对 COVID-19 的认知正向预测乐趣和有用性，从而使人们对 Instagram 上的时尚品牌帐户更加满意，因此更愿意关注和推荐这些帐户。最后，运行多组分析 (MGA)，我们发现，COVID-19 认知的影响通过中介序列显着体现为关注意向和推荐意向：享受和满足仅在技术原生代群体中有效。我们的研究提出了一种基于技术原生性的新世代分类——为数字营销传播的世代研究提供了一个新方向。