Proceedings of the 2026 3rd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2026)

2026 3rd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2026)

📍Kunming, China🗓️ 12-14 June 2026
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The Digital Reconstruction of Consumer Decision-Making Pathways Due to Decentralized Brand Authority on Social Media

Authors
Yilan Tang1, *
1University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
*Corresponding author. Email: Yilan.Tang@student.uts.edu.au
Corresponding Author
Yilan Tang
Available Online 4 September 2026.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_5How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Decentralized Authority; Customer Decision Journey; Social media marketing
Abstract

Digital advertisements are shaping customer decision-making pathways on social media like Xiaohongshu, driving a shift from centralized advertising to decentralized, community-driven conversations. The objective of the research is to examine the reconstruction of Chinese Customer Decision Journey through the emergence of decentralized brand authority on Xiaohongshu. This study adopts a case study approach focusing on Dior, analyzing its Firm-Generated Content (FGC) on Xiaohongshu, User-Generated Content (UGC) and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) collaborations, supplemented by secondary consumer research data. The findings illustrate that marketing strategies of Dior replace traditional linear funnel with a dynamic, looped pathway, fostering a decentralized system of brand authority. Customer behavior evolves from passively receiving advertising to actively searching for information, thereby achieving precise conversion. The research provides theoretical framework of a “Decentralized-Authority-Driven Decision Loop Model” to understand a new customer decision model in digital environment and practical guidance for luxury brands to formulate a digital strategy on social media in Chinese market.

Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2026 3rd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2026)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
4 September 2026
ISBN
978-2-38476-609-3
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_5How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Yilan Tang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/04
TI  - The Digital Reconstruction of Consumer Decision-Making Pathways Due to Decentralized Brand Authority on Social Media
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 3rd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 29
EP  - 43
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_5
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-609-3_5
ID  - Tang2026
ER  -