Research-Thesis: De-Influencing on Social Media: Comparing Pure Discouragement and Alternative-Based Messages

Abstract

Abstract

Social media has become a key space where consumers discover products and receive recommendations from influencers. Recently, a new trend called de-influencing has appeared on platforms such as TikTok. Instead of encouraging purchases, de-influencers explain why some products are not worth buying. This thesis examines how consumers react to two main types of de-influencing messages: pure discouragement, which only criticises a product, and alternative-based de-influencing, which criticises a product but recommends another option.

A between-subjects online experiment was conducted with 139 participants. Each respondent watched one TikTok-style video about Stanley cups, showing either a pure discouragement message or an alternative-based message. After the video, participants evaluated the creator in terms of perceived credibility, authenticity and altruism, and indicated their purchase intentions for the criticised Stanley cup and, in the alternative condition, for the recommended alternative cup. The questionnaire also measured FoMO/JoMO and general sustainable consumption behaviour.

Manipulation checks confirmed that both videos were clearly perceived as de-influencing and that only the alternative-based video contained an explicit product recommendation. Results show that pure discouragement does not significantly increase perceived credibility, but it leads to higher perceived authenticity and altruism than alternative-based de-influencing. No significant differences between conditions are found for FoMO, JoMO or sustainable behaviour. Purchase intention for the Stanley cup is low in both conditions and does not differ significantly between pure discouragement and alternative-based messages. However, within the alternative-based condition, participants report a much higher intention to buy the recommended alternative cup than the Stanley cup. Sustainable behaviour does not significantly predict purchase intentions for either product.

Overall, the findings suggest that pure discouragement can enhance perceptions of authenticity and altruism, but both types of de-influencing are able to reduce purchase intention for a highly discussed product. When an alternative is suggested, de-influencing mainly redirects demand toward the recommended option rather than further lowering intention to buy the criticised product.