Digital traces can validate the role of purchase motivations in the buying behavior of Instagram users

There is a limited understanding of whether consumers’ intrinsic traits (e.g., self-determination) drive the efficacy of extrinsic stimuli (e.g., influencer endorsements) in one’s purchase decision. Existing studies also do not offer a way to validate cross-sectional findings with behavioral data. This work reports on the findings from studies (one social media campaign, one survey, and one email campaign) conducted in Singapore to explore the dual role of extrinsic and intrinsic motivations in purchase intention towards a health product as seen in an Instagram influencer’s post. We found that consumers’ positive perception of self is indirectly associated with higher purchase intention, mediated by their perceived value of the endorsed product. Survey-reported purchase intention is positively associated with subsequent engagement (i.e., opens and clicks) with marketing materials in a recontact campaign