Original or counterfeit luxury fashion brands? The effect of social media on purchase intention

Italy is the country most affected by the counterfeit phenomenon in Europe. In the field of luxury fashion brands, the relationship between social media marketing (SMM) and consumers’ intention to purchase counterfeit products is still little analyzed. The aim of this pioneering work is to investigate the net impact of SMM communication, user-generated content (UGC), and firm-created content (FCC), on overall brand equity (OBE) and on intention to buy original and counterfeit luxury fashion brands. Findings based on 198 Italian undergraduate students indicate a positive effect of UGC on both OBE and purchase intention of counterfeit products, while purchase intention of original luxury fashion brands is positively affected by OBE and FCC. The last relationship is confirmed when UGC register a low appreciation by users. This study is significant for both academics and practitioners, extending the scope of antecedents influencing the purchase intention of both original and counterfeit luxury fashion products. Findings reveal the fundamental role of UGC as a tool that firms have to manage and monitor due to their moderating effect in the relationship between FCC and intention to buy original luxury fashion brands. This study contributes to providing implications for developing social media brand communications strategies