The Impact of KOL Marketing's Content on Chinese Female Generation Z Consumers' Interest in Light Meal Restaurants

Abstract

In recent years, demand for healthy, low-calorie foods has been growing in Chinese market, leading to an increase in the number of light meal restaurants and, consequently, a gradual saturation of the light meal market. Light meal restaurants need to use promotion to stand out. The rapid development of social media has presented new opportunities for the light meal market, where Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) play a significant role in shaping Gen Z consumers’ preferences. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether digital content published by KOLs can effectively enhance Gen Z female consumers’ interest on social media platform RED (Note 1). Through quantitative research, the analysis result shows a positive correlation between the interests of Generation Z women and the content shared by KOLs regarding light meal restaurants in both post and video formats. Furthermore, the décor style of restaurants in video format and the taste of food in post format have presented the most significant impact on consumers’ interest.