Effect of the Scarcity Message Type and Sender Type on Purchase Intention in Instagram as a Distribution Channel

Abstract

Purpose: Social networking services have been recognized as an attractive distribution channel at a time when efforts to deliver effective messages to consumers are essential amid a flood of advertisements in the multi-media era. In that sense, this study investigated the effect of the scarcity message type (limited-time vs. limited-quantity) and sender type (corporate vs. consumer) on the intention to purchase golf equipment by Instagram distribution channel. Research design, data and methodology: Data from 108 college students in their 20s and 30s with experience using Instagram were collected online through convenience sampling. A frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, independent sample t-test, and two-way analysis of variance were performed using SPSS 23.0. Results: The results showed that limited-quantity messages induce a higher purchase intention than limited-time messages. Similarly, consumer-sent advertisements induce a higher purchase intention than corporate-sent advertisements. Further, there is no statistically significant interaction effect of the scarcity message type and sender type on the intention to purchase golf equipment. Conclusions: This study is meaningful in verifying consumers’ purchase intention depending on the type of scarcity message and the type of sender in Instagram advertisements. The results yield significant implications for marketers and several directions for future research.