The Influence of Social Media on the Purchase of Sneakers by Male Undergraduates

Chow, Yin Shen (2020) The Influence of Social Media on the Purchase of Sneakers by Male Undergraduates. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Sneaker Culture is the latest trend that took the world by storm. Started by a niche group of sneaker collectors, the sneaker culture turned into a global trend thanks to the invention of social media. Social media has often been the subject of studies in the field of consumer behaviour. Social media offers many things that traditional media could not. As social media grew bigger and bigger, the effects of social media on purchasing behaviour have evolved to include many more factors. Many studies on purchasing behaviour have been on other types of consumer goods. This study focuses on sneaker culture because it is relatively new in the research field. This study shows that different types of sneaker content on social media affects the purchasing behaviour, which leads them to have a better perception of the culture, and influence the degree of exposure they had to sneaker contents. Dependency Theory, Meaning Transfer theory, and Uses and Gratifications Theory is employed to form the theoretical framework in this research. The research is conducted using a quantitative method whereby a survey questionnaire is created to collect the data. The research shows that male undergraduates have a positive perception of sneaker culture on social media. Moreover, the various types of sneaker content on social media does affect their interest in purchasing. Social media usage also plays a role in increasing exposure to sneaker contents.