Role of Binge-Watching in the Effect of Parasocial Relationship on Purchasing Intention

Parasocial relationships (PSRs), the one-sided cognitive and emotional connection between consumers and media personalities, have received attention in marketing research due to potential to influence consumer behavior. Particularly in an era of increasing media consumption, where digital platforms and binge-watching (BW) behaviors continue to shape the way consumers engage with content, PSRs offer valuable insight to understand consumers' decision-making processes. This study focuses on the role of PSRs in influencing consumers' purchase intentions and examines the moderating effect of BW behavior on this effect. Quantitative research with non-random sampling methods was designed and data was obtained using an online survey tool. A total of 267 valid responses were collected. Research findings demonstrate that parasocial relationships significantly influence purchase intention and that BW plays a moderating role in this effect. These results contribute to the understanding of how media consumption patterns, specifically BW, can influence consumer behavior in a marketing context. The findings of this study provide important information for marketers who want to leverage on the cognitive and emotional bonds consumers form with media personalities. Marketers can design more effective campaigns that focus on the increasing influence of media consumption behaviors. Overall, this study contributes to literature of consumer behavior, highlighting the importance of BW as a key factor to moderate the effectiveness of PSRs in driving purchase intentions.