Electronic Theses and Dissertation

ABSTRACT
The advancement of digital technologies has significantly reshaped consumer
behavior, particularly through the widespread use of social media platforms like
TikTok Shop for online purchasing. A prominent trend observed in this context is
the ability of content created by social media influencers (also referred to as POs)
to stimulate consumers’ tendencies toward impulsive buying. Influencers who
possess audience characteristics that align with the target market demonstrate
greater effectiveness in driving impulsive purchase actions, especially when
psychological factors such as desire identification come into play where
consumers feel a sense of connection or aspiration toward the influencers they
admire. This research investigates the influence of congruence among three
relationships: between consumers and influencers, consumers and products, and
influencers and products. Specifically, the study examines how alignment between
influencers and products impacts online impulsive buying behavior among TikTok
Shop users, while also evaluating whether desire identification serves as a
moderating factor in this relationship. Employing a quantitative research design,
the study utilizes a sample of 200 active TikTok Shop users, with data analyzed
using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)
technique via SmartPLS software. The findings reveal that congruence between
consumers and products as well as between influencers and products significantly
affects users’ impulsive buying intentions. This indicates that when the product
aligns well with both the consumer’s preferences and the influencer’s persona, the
likelihood of impulsive purchasing increases. Conversely, alignment between
consumers and influencers does not exhibit a notable direct influence. Moreover,
the moderating variable—wishful identification—does not appear to enhance the
relationship between the congruence dimensions and impulsive purchase
intentions. Hence, psychological motivations such as the aspiration to resemble
influencers may not be sufficiently strong to intensify these associations in the
context of TikTok Shop. Accordingly, marketing strategies should prioritize
product relevance to the audience and the trustworthiness of influencers over
emotional consumer-influencer bonds.

Keywords: Influencer Congruence, TikTok Shop, Impulse Buying, Wishful
Identification, Digital Marketing

ABSTRAK Pertumbuhan teknologi digital telah mendorong perubahan signifikan dalam perilaku konsumen, terutama maraknya belanja daring melalui platform media sosial seperti TikTok Shop. Salah satu fenomena yang mencolok adalah meningkatnya online Impulse Buying Intentions yang dipicu oleh konten dari social media influencer. Influencer yang memiliki kesesuaian karakteristik dengan audiensnya mampu mendorong keputusan pembelian impulsif secara lebih kuat, terutama ketika terdapat faktor psikologis seperti wishful identification, yaitu kecenderungan konsumen untuk mengidentifikasi diri mereka dengan influencer yang dikagumi. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh Consumer– Influencer Congruence, Consumer–Product Congruence, dan Influencer–Product Congruence terhadap Online Impulse Buying Intentions pada pengguna TikTok Shop, serta menguji peran moderasi wishful identification dalam memperkuat hubungan tersebut. Metode yang digunakan adalah kuantitatif dengan pendekatan survei terhadap 200 responden pengguna aktif TikTok Shop. Teknik analisis data dilakukan menggunakan Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) dengan bantuan perangkat lunak SmartPLS. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa Consumer–Product Congruence dan Influencer–Product Congruence berpengaruh signifikan terhadap Online Impulse Buying Intentions pada pengguna TikTok Shop. Artinya, kesesuaian antara produk dengan konsumen, serta antara produk dengan citra influencer, mendorong niat pembelian impulsif. Sebaliknya, Consumer–Influencer Congruence tidak memberikan pengaruh langsung yang signifikan. Selain itu, variabel moderasi Wishful Identification tidak terbukti memperkuat hubungan antara ketiga dimensi Congruence dan niat pembelian impulsif. Oleh karena itu, peran psikologis seperti keinginan menyerupai influencer belum cukup kuat untuk menjadi penguat hubungan dalam konteks TikTok Shop. Strategi pemasaran sebaiknya menitikberatkan pada kesesuaian produk dengan audiens dan kredibilitas influencer, daripada hanya mengandalkan keterikatan emosional konsumen terhadap influencer. Kata kunci: Influencer Congruence, TikTok Shop, Impulse Buying, Wishful Identification, Pemasaran Digital