33. THE EFFECT OF PERCEIVED EMOTIONS, ATTACHMENT TO DIGITAL INFLUENCERS AND IDENTITY CONGRUENCE ON ONLINE COSMETICS PURCHASING DECISIONS IN MOROCCO: A PLS-SEM APPROACH

This article examines the influence of digital emotional marketing on the online purchasing decisions of Moroccan consumers in the cosmetics sector. The research is set against the digital transformation of marketing practices, marked by the growing use of social media, visual content, short videos, influencer campaigns and emotional messaging. In the cosmetics sector, products are closely associated with appearance, well-being, self-esteem and social identity, which reinforces the role of emotions in purchasing behavior. The central research question is: to what extent does digital emotional marketing influence the purchasing decisions of Moroccan consumers in the cosmetics sector? To answer it, the study proposes a conceptual model built on three explanatory variables (emotions perceived in digital marketing, emotional attachment elicited by digital influencers, and self-image, personal values and social identity), with the online purchasing decision as the dependent variable. Methodologically, the study adopts a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey of 185 Moroccan consumers exposed to the digital content of cosmetics brands. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale and analyzed with the PLS-SEM method. The simulated results show that all three hypotheses are confirmed: perceived emotions have the strongest positive influence on online purchasing decisions, followed by self-image and attachment to influencers. The model explains 62.8% of the variance in purchasing decisions, which confirms the importance of emotional, relational and identity-related factors in online purchasing behavior.