How social media influences consumer purchase intention in international markets : A cross-cultural study of India and Sweden

Sammanfattning

Research question: How do cultural differences shape the influence of Instagram marketing on consumer purchase intention, through the mechanisms proposed in the Theory of Planned Behavior? Purpose: This study explores how consumers in India and Sweden interpret and respond to Nike’s Instagram marketing, and how this shapes their purchase intention. It applies the Theory of Planned Behavior and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to explain the differences between the two contexts. Method: This study adopts a qualitative, comparative research design based on semi-structured interviews with seven Swedish and six Indian consumers. The data were analysed through thematic analysis, using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as the guiding analytical framework. Conclusion: The study found that while Instagram marketing influenced consumers in both countries, its impact differed by cultural context: Swedish consumers relied more on personal evaluation and authenticity, while Indian consumers were more shaped by social influence and aspiration. This shows that the Theory of Planned Behavior constructs are not culturally neutral, and that global brands cannot assume standardised Instagram strategies will be interpreted uniformly across markets.