Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Reed College of Media

Department

Reed College of Media

Committee Chair

Geah Pressgrove

Committee Co-Chair

Elizabeth Cohen

Committee Member

James Ebel

Committee Member

Elizabeth Oppe

Abstract

Through an online survey, this study explored the perceived source credibility of fashion industry Twitter messages with varying message sources (the brand itself, celebrity endorser, friend/acquaintance). Online interactivity and purchase intention of potential customers were also assessed to examine if a particular message source and its credibility increase the likelihood of online engagement with the message and customers' intention to purchase.;Findings indicate that of all source types, brands were perceived as most credible overall, as well as on dimensions of expertise, character, and attractiveness. Furthermore, there was a higher probability of respondents searching for additional information based on a tweet from a brand. In terms of purchase based on Twitter messages, respondents were most motivated based on the affordability, value and the ability of the fashion item to compliment their personal style. Conversely, celebrity endorsers scored lowest in every variable, including credibility, interactivity and purchase intention, which might provide some insight into social media celebrity endorsement for fashion brands and designers.;These findings highlight the value of source selection in Twitter messaging for the fashion industry, as well as the content of the messages posted in this forum. Optimization and leveraging of messages based on these findings should lead to better return on investment as measured by online engagement and purchase intention.

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