The influence of digital opinion leaders on consumer choices and demand elasticity in the Czech confectionary sector (2020–2024)

The core hypothesis of the thesis is that the activity of digital opinion leaders in the Czech confectionery sector leads to a measurable increase in consumer purchasing decisions and reduces the price elasticity of demand for these products. The empirical research, based on a quantitative survey of N=100 Czech consumers, partially supported this hypothesis. The findings indicated that the emotional connection and sense of closeness consumers feel towards influencers is the strongest and most significant non-price determinant of demand. This emotional utility increases purchase intention and raises the acceptable price threshold, effectively making demand less price-sensitive and shifting the demand curve outward. However, the hypothesis was constrained by a critical boundary condition: the regression analysis showed that high exposure to influencer content actually had a significant negative effect on both purchase intention and willingness to pay. This suggested that excessive or repetitive content in this low-involvement market may induce advertising fatigue or skepticism, leading consumers to re-engage in price comparison and critical evaluation, thereby increasing price sensitivity.