Investigating Social Media Influences on Consumer’s Behaviors Purchasing Sports Apparel

Social media is the most prevalent means of communication among young people today; consequently, social media provides an ideal platform for promoting brands of products and services, influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions, and increasing the desire to use products offered. Companies selling sports apparel (like Puma and Adidas) have approached marketing through social media, investigating social media’s effect on consumer behavior and choice of sports apparel in Saudi Arabia. To achieve the objectives of this research, and to answer the questions posed a descriptive analytical approach was used, and a survey (questionnaire and interview) tools were distributed to a sample of consumers and e-consumers of sportswear (comparative between Puma and Adidas). To test the effects of age, gender, living area, and the respondents’ educational level on customers’ preference for Puma and Adidas (t-shirts and shoes), the researcher investigated whether preferences for Puma and Adidas sportswear brands (t-shirts and shoes) are affected by the age, genders, living area and educational level of the respondents.

population, and greater acceptance of sports attire as everyday wear. In addition to athletes who buy sports clothes to enhance their performance when engaging in sports activities, athletes and other consumers also buy sportswear for use outside the sporting arena (Chew & Leng, 2016).
Not all consumer purchase decisions are alike, and the amount of effort put into the decision making process varies. When the decision-making process is almost automatic, snap judgments can be made with minimal searches for information. Consumer's behaviors towards a specific product or commodity differ. Some automatic behaviors can arise involving little risk and low participation. However, some behaviors require a lot of time and information searches. Thus, consumer behavior involves four main types, as illustrated in Figure 1

Social media influences
There are multiple definitions of social media, and these vary from one researcher to another. According to Chauhan and Pillai (2013), social media is defined as an electronic system that allows Internet users to create their own pages and connect them via an electronic social system to other members who share the same interests and hobbies, as a means to educate and inform others about information, products, services (Chauhan & Pillai, 2013). Social media can be defined as a system of electronic networks that permit subscribers to create their own pages, and then connect them through a social e-system to those of other members who share the same interests and hobbies (Taprial & Kanwar, 2012).
Social media applications support communication and interaction via electronic means. Some individuals use the concept of mass media to describe the various types of cultural phenomena that involve communication, not just communication techniques (Valentini & Kruckeberg, 2011). For example, people often use the term social media to discuss the content that users provide when writing, publishing, or sharing using electronic data. It is noteworthy that the majority of social media sites are electronic and give users minimum opportunity to communicate and interact with each other using computers, smartphones, the Internet, and other social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Paint Rest (Mazurek & Tkaczyk, 2016).
Buyer intentions indicate whether customers want to purchase specific services or products from online group purchase sites (Yang and Mao, 2014), and these can be oriented towards specific products.

Social media influences on consumers behavior of Sports Apparel
Social media influences consumers by engaging them in the business world, and assisting marketers to create a novel set of tools to interact with consumers and integrate them into brands using innovative electronic methods (Prasath & Yoganathen, 2018).
Consumers' purchasing decisions might also be effected by social influence, as people review the perceptions and judgments of others about products when making their own decisions. Thus, the more uncertain a person is about a product, the greater the likelihood that he or she will be affected by social media (Chew & Leng, 2016).
Social influence can be classified as either normative or informational. Informational social influence refers to receiving data acquired from another person as proof of reality. When consumers seek to create an informed decision, they view the opinions of others or the use of products as reliable evidence of a consumable items' qualities or features. Intrinsically, a purchase decision is influenced by the opinions of others (Yayli & Bayram, 2012).
The key reason why consumers purchase what they do is often deeply rooted in their subconscious. Therefore, typically, consumers do not fully understand or know what affects their product or brand purchase decisions, as 99 per cent of these are emotional, and occur in the unconscious mind; i.e. without their awareness (Sokolowski, 2011).
Social media effectively influences consumer choices and behavior. Companies create social networking pages to disseminate information, videos, images and text as a way to describe their products and services. Consumers can access these pages, obtain information, communicate with their sponsors, purchase products, join a group, or view new developments in the company's products. Consumers and companies can think about products or company related issues on these pages (Tilman, 2012).
There are three theories that support this research, and which aim to highlight consumers' purchasing behavior in regard to brands of sportswear (T-shirts and shoes). These theories consist of social exemplification, behavioral purpose, and online purchasing (Anfara and Mertz, 2014). The three theories are created and designated in-depth as a way to provide descriptions, expectations, and cleverness about the phenomena under study. The primary goal is to design a realistic model of consumers' and e-consumers' behaviors towards brands of sportswear like Adidas and Puma. Despite theoretical generalization, the notes accompanying the framework confirm the creation of existing and clear ideas about the phenomenon under analysis (Ravitch and Riggan, 2012). The connections and comparative examination conducted in the project are not based on personal instincts or assumptions, but rather on theories of social exemplification, behavioral attention, and online purchasing, as well as prior research.

Social representation theory
Social representation theory reflects behavior through a process of reconstruction. Frequently procedures happen from a young age, in schools, families, organizations, and communities. People are able to improve certain methods of conceptualizing things or states directed through the situations around them (Hamilton et al., 2014). The exemplifications set detail three groups of features, all of which define behavior and consequently convictions about things (Gaol, Kadry, Taylor and Li, 2014). The institute is the first feature whereby components of social exemplification cooperate with each other. These components comprise opinions, faith, and information, which could be either equivalent or incompatible. On the other hand, a common feature is the second peculiarity informing exemplification. Participants in the same social set rely on information managed about a certain thing to establish methodical attitudes about it. Moreover, joint creation is the third structural component, although individuals rely on revelation to establish mass connections and improve opinions and information (Khanlari, 2015). The theory of social representation observes behavior that can be considered as socially beneficial.

Online buying theory
Online shopping behavior can arise from a number of impulsive purchasing triggers. Customers may respond to incentives affirming their intention to make a purchase. According to Lo, Lin and Hsu (2016), compulsive buying in bricks-and-mortar settings varies from online behavior. Conversely, growing demand for an effective and rapid purchasing process adds to customers' impulsive purchasing in ecommerce settings (Wan, 2009). The motive informing unsolicited consumer shopping behavior is sales campaigning. Confidence, price comparison, and shopping opportunities precipitate behavior, but there is also a necessity for sellers to finalize e-commerce purchases efficiently. Al-Debei, Akroush, and Ashouri (2015) discuss how sellers' capability to impact online purchases emanates from their efforts to exploit word of mouth electronically (eWOM). They realize welfare and web features serve to promote consumers' affirmative attitudes towards online shopping. Wan (2009) notes that the theory of online purchasing emphasizes the utilization of suitability between consumers, which then becomes a foundation for effective sales.

Behavioral intention
Behavioral intention theory includes foreseeable choices made between consumers (Carrington, Neville and Whitwell, 2014). The behavioral intention of consumers and e-consumers may vary depending on their implementation of social media, social class, and social exemplification. The intention to purchase a particular product stems from pre-existing attitudes in the decision-making procedure. The basic component of the theory is that it is an expressed essential, developed via consumers to generate or realize a specific result. Comprehensibly, Carrington, Neville and Whitwell (2014) noted that consumers are involved in a logical procedure, which includes appropriate assessment of target products. Logical performer's methods that serve as a foundation for exploitation are in agreement with their best welfare options. The intention to use logical action to inform the decision-making procedure needs specificity. Consumers embrace certain actions when they think about outcomes (Hong and Cho, 2011). Conversely, consumers can vary their opinions and choose an act devised based on information they consume in their environment, comprised of social sets or social media networks.

Research methodology
To achieve the objectives of this research and answer the questions attendant in Investigating social media influences on consumer's behaviors of Sports Apparel in Saudi Arabia through conducting a comparative study between the perceptions of consumers and E-consumers, a descriptive analytical approach was used (both qualitative and quantitative methods), and a questionnaire tool was distributed to a sample of users of social media interested in following developments in the field of sportswear.

Hypothesis.
The researcher developed a set of hypotheses to be tested through the current research: H1: There is a positive relationship between Social Representation and Attitude at significance level α = 0.05.

H2:
There is a positive relationship between Social Class and Attitude at significance level α = 0.05. H3: There is a positive relationship between Social Media and Attitude at significance level α = 0.05. H4: There is a positive relationship between Social Representation and Preference at significance level α = 0.05. H5: There is a positive relationship between Social Class and Preference at significance level α = 0.05.

Discussion and Results
Determining the validity of the questionnaire structure was the second test undertaken. This test determined the validity of each section within the questionnaire as a way to affirm its validity. The test measured the correlation coefficient between one segment and all the other sections of the questionnaire, at a similar level to the Likert scale. Table 1 illustrates that significance values are lower than 0.01. Hence, the correlation coefficients of the questionnaire segments are significant at α = 0.01. Thus, each segment is valid because the significance determined they achieved what they were intended to in the study. Table 1: structural validity of the questionnaire.
The half-split method involves determining the Pearson correlation coefficients between the means of even and odd ranked queries in each questionnaire segment. The Spearman-Brown correlation coefficient facilitated the correction of the Pearson correlation coefficient. The following equation is used in the computation of corrected correlation or consistency correlations. The consistency coefficient = 2r/(r+1), where r is the Pearson correlation coefficient in the normal range of the corrected correlation coefficient 2r/(r+1), which is between 0.0 and + 1.0 Table 2 shows the overarching reliability of each item is equal to 0.841, 0.859 for Adidas sportswear and Puma sportswear respectively, and the significance (α) is less than 0.05, so all the modified correlation coefficients are significant at α = 0.05. Hence, guided by the Half-Split technique, the corrections made are reliable. Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha is a method of measuring the reliability of a questionnaire between the segments and mean of all segments in a questionnaire. The standard range of Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha value is between 0.0 and + 1.0 while the higher values illustrate a higher marker of internal consistency. Table 3 below calculates Cronbach's Coefficient Alpha. This table shows that the general reliability of all segments is equal to 0.856 and 0.879 for Adidas sportswear and Puma sportswear respectively. The range here is high, which implies the questionnaire had high reliability.

Finding and hypotheses test
The aim of this section is to validate the proposed research model and test associated hypotheses using an appropriate statistical approach. The response to the first question in the Adidas and Puma questionnaire (Have you ever heard of the brand Adidas or Puma?), given in Table 4, shows that all the research participants had heard of Adidas and Puma. We used a one-sample t-test to identify the opinions of the respondents concerning the Adidas sportswear brand (t-shirt and shoes), and the results are shown in Table 5 as follows. In general, the results for all the items in the field show Table 5, that the average mean equals 3.00 and 3.09 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, and the weighted mean is equal to 75.08% and 77.24% for t-shirts and shoes respectively. The value of the t-test is equal to 31.47 and 36.15 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is greater than the critical value of 1.98. The p-value is equal to 0.000 and 0.000 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is less than 0.05. This means the Adidas sportswear brand affects consumers and e-consumers of Adidas (t-shirts and shoes) in Saudi Arabia at a significance level of α = 0.05 Table 5: Social Representation (SR) of Adidas brand.
The one-sample t-test was used to collate opinion of respondents concerning Puma. The results for all the items in the field shown in Table 6 reveal that, the average mean equals 2.23and 2.25for Puma t-shirts and shoes respectively and the weighted mean equals 55.66% and 56.19% for t-shirts and shoes respectively. The value of the t-test is equal to 22.83 and 18.83 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is greater than the critical value of 1.98. The p-value equals 0.000 and 0.000 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is less than 0.05. This means the Puma sportswear brand moderately affects consumers and e-consumers' views regarding Puma (t-shirts and shoes) in Saudi Arabia at significance level α = 0.05.  1. Consumers and e-consumers showed a largely positive attitude towards the Adidas sportswear brand (tshirts and shoes).
As mentioned a one-sample t-test was used to assess the opinion of the respondents about the attitude, preference and behavior of consumers and e-consumers towards Adidas, and the results are shown in Table 7. All items in the field show the average mean equals 3.15 and 3.11 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, and the weighted mean equals 78.70% and 77.82% for t-shirts and shoes respectively. The value of the t-test equals 15.93 and 15.68 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is greater than the critical value of 1.98. The p-value is equal to 0.000 and 0.000 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is less than 0.05. This means the attitude of consumers and e-consumers towards Adidas t-shirts and shoes is good at a significance level α = 0.05.

Table 7: Attitude of consumers and E-consumers towards Adidas (t-shirts and shoes).
2. Consumers and e-consumers showed a negative attitude towards the Puma sportswear brand (t-shirts and shoes).
We also employed a one-sample t-test to evaluate the opinions of the respondents regarding the attitude, preferences and behaviors of consumers and e-consumers towards the Puma sportswear brand (t-shirts and shoes) and the results shown in Table 8. The results for all items in the field show the average mean equals 2.02 and 1.97 for t-shirts and shoes respectively and the weighted mean equals 50.51% and 49.14% for t-shirts and shoes respectively. The value of the t-test equals 12.83 and 15.27 for t-shirts and shoes respectively, which is greater than the critical value of 1.98. The p-value equals 0.000 and 0.000 for tshirts and shoes respectively, which is less than 0.05. This means the attitude of consumers and econsumers towards Puma (t-shirts and shoes) is negative at the significance level α = 0.05.

Table 8: Attitude of consumers and E-consumers towards Puma (t-shirts and shoes).
European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1905(Paper) ISSN 2222-2839(Online) DOI: 10.7176/EJBM Vol.11, No.26, 2019 81 3. The extent of customers' preference for the Adidas sportswear brand (t-shirts and shoes) is affected by the age, gender, living area and educational level of the respondents. To test the effects from the age, gender, living area and the educational level of the respondents on the extent of customers' preference for Adidas, we employed a chi-square test. The result in Table 9 shows that age and education level only affected customers' preference for Adidas, since the p-value equal 0.018 and 0.000 for age and educational level respectively. Table 9: Chi-square test Adidas brand t-shirts and shoes.
4. The extent of customers' preferences for the Puma sportswear brand (t-shirts and shoes) is affected by the age, gender, living area and educational level of the respondents. To test for the effect of age, gender, living area and educational level of the respondents on customers' preferences for Puma t-shirts and shoes, we used a chi-square test. The results in Table 10 show that age and education level only affected the extent of customers' preferences for the Puma sportswear brand (t-shirt and shoes), since the p-values equal 0.018 and 0.000 for age and educational level respectively.

Conclusion
The current search was prepared to investigate social media influences on consumer's behavior relative to sports apparel in Saudi Arabia. A descriptive analytical approach was designed to review previous studies and research relating to the subject of the research. In addition the survey tools were distributed to a sample of consumers and e-consumers of sportswear brands (comparative between Puma and Adidas). It has further been shown that the modes of social communication help consumers who are athletes and non-athletes interested in wearing sports clothing select brands and models suitable for them at appropriate prices. Thus, social media influences consumer behavior. Some important aspects of the analysis included consumers determining the frequency of Internet purchases. A good results perspective included determining the behavior of consumers in accordance with demographics, encompassing age, gender, living area, and education level. Based on the survey tools prepared by the researcher, and based on the views of the participants using this tool, the researcher reached the following conclusions:  The behavior of consumers towards a particular product of sportswear is influenced by data disseminated via social media.  Consumer purchasing behavior is influenced by feedbacks for products published on social media by former consumers.  The buying behavior of consumers interested in buying sports apparel is influenced by the electronic content of marketers on social media.  Some consumer do not trust the digital content of the social media provided by marketers to describe the sportswear they offer.  Some consumers feel comfortable with sports clothing companies that offer digital content to describe their products on social media.  The digital content provided by companies on social media websites intended to describe their sportswear helps generate consumer purchasing desire. In light of the above, the researcher recommends the following:  The importance of adopting sports apparel companies for social communication in their work allows them to focus their efforts to increase the effectiveness of content added on social media.  Sports clothing companies need to pay attention to assigning teams responsible for follow-up,