THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFLUENCER MARKETING AND LIFESTYLE BRANDING: A CASE STUDY: TURKIYE, ISTANBUL

Abstract

Influencer marketing has become a well-known and commonly used method in today's social media-driven marketing environment. Influencer marketing and lifestyle branding must be used effectively, which requires an understanding of consumer perceptions. The purpose of this thesis was to examine how Turkish consumers perceive influencer marketing and assess its impact on brands. A thorough description of influencer marketing and lifestyle branding are given in the literature review section, which also emphasizes the function of social media influencers as go-betweens for customers and businesses. It examines how influencers create brand attitudes and the mechanics of trust within this marketing technique, showing influencer marketing as a contemporary version of word-of-mouth marketing. An inductive pre-survey investigation was carried out to determine the subject's relevance and importance in order to narrow the research topic. People's opinions regarding influencers were obtained during this initial phase, which helped to create the framework for the study. Following that, survey questions were used to gather information from 600 respondents, fusing quantitative and qualitative factors. According to the study's findings, influencer marketing has improved customers' opinions of brands. It has aided in creating a feeling of connection and individuality for brands. The lack of customer confidence in influencer marketing is a striking discovery, though. The relationship between lifestyle branding and influencer marketing has a favorable effect on consumers' entire social media experiences, and consumers view influencers as helpful resources during the purchasing process. The results of qualitative research go deeper into the problems with trust, highlighting the iv difficulties influencers and businesses have in successfully interacting with their target markets