The impact of body positivity on consumer purchase intentions: exploring the drivers and disincentives of body-positive advertising effectiveness in fashion

Purpose This study investigates how body-positive fashion advertising influences consumer purchase intentions, focusing on young women in Central and Eastern Europe. It addresses ambiguous findings in the literature by examining the psychological factors determining advertising effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach Based on survey data from 211 female respondents, this study applied confirmatory factor analysis and mixed-effects regression. These methods assessed consumer responses to fashion advertisements featuring models of three different body sizes. Findings The effectiveness of body-positive advertising depends on consumers' attitudes and self-image, not demographics. Purchase intentions were enhanced among consumers with favorable body-positivity attitudes. Conversely, purchase intentions were lower among consumers who already possess a high body self-image. Consumer's body size, age, and education were not significant predictors. Research limitations/implications The study's major limitation is its self-administered online survey that depends on participants' honesty and self-perception and can induce response biases such as social desirability. Practical implications Marketers should use psychographic segmentation rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach. A body-positive message may resonate with those holding pro-inclusivity values but alienate consumers with high body self-image. Originality/value This paper demonstrates that psychological factors (attitudes, self-image) are more prominent predictors of purchase intention in response to body-positive advertising than demographic factors (age, education, body size). It reveals novel interactive patterns in consumer responses.