How does the immersion in South Korean culture through social media influence consumers' transition from a cultural interest to the tangible purchase of South Korean products?

Masset, JulieThiry, AnouckAnouckThiry2025-07-092025-07-092025-05-2520252025-05-26https://hdl.handle.net/2078.2/43675This thesis aims to study how immersion in South Korean culture through social media influences the transition from cultural interest to the purchase of South Korean products. First, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, summarizing existing knowledge on the Korean Wave, remote acculturation, social media marketing, influencer and brand ambassador strategies, and the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior. Following the literature review, a qualitative study was carried out through thirteen semi-structured interviews with French-speaking participants from Generation Z. Our results, compared with existing literature, highlight the key role played by social media in shaping cultural interest and consumer behavior. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Netflix act as gateways to South Korean culture, disseminating it and immersing people in it, with this immersion facilitated by remote acculturation. Influencers and brand ambassadors act as intermediaries, generating curiosity and desire to purchase, while peer recommendations further strengthen these behaviors. Overtime, South Korean products, in particular skincare, food, and K-pop products are integrated into participants’ consumption habits, initially driven by cultural fascination and emotional attachment, but later guided by subjective factors such as perceived product quality, effectiveness, and suitability for personal needs.Korean WaveSocial mediaInfluencersBrand ambassadorSouth Korean productsCultural interestHow does the immersion in South Korean culture through social media influence consumers' transition from a cultural interest to the tangible purchase of South Korean products?text::thesis::master thesis