Mini-Me Fashion Sharenting: Drivers, Consequences, and the Role of Market Mavens

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological mechanisms that motivate sharenting behavior (the practice of parents sharing information and multimedia content about their children on social media) in the context of mini-me fashion, where mothers or fathers wear matching outfits with their children. Based on mimicry behavior theory and self-presentation, we use a mixed-method approach to analyze 200 Instagram posts (study 1) and 303 surveys (study 2), and we examine the relationships of mimicry behavior and hedonism with self-presentation and their impacts on brand engagement. The findings make theoretical contributions by confirming that mini-me sharenting is considered an act of online self-presentation primarily driven by hedonism and mimicry desire, thus leading to higher brand engagement and eWOM. Furthermore, the level of fashion market mavenism amplifies the impact of hedonism on brand engagement.