Impact of Social Media Influencers on Follower’s Purchase Intention and the Mediation Effect of Consumer Attitude
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22555/pbr.v26i4.1260Keywords:
Food industry, purchase decision, social media influencer, source credibilityAbstract
The advancement in the digital landscape in recent years has driven brands, especially in the food industry, to adopt modern marketing approaches by leveraging social media influencers (SMIs). These individuals have the ability to change the perception of their customers while influencing their buying decisions. Due to lower profit margins in traditional marketing than in SMI marketing, and with the surge in social media usage like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, food brands are now moving more towards SMIs to promote their products. The aim of this report is to determine the impact of source credibility (i.e., trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, and similarity) of SMIs on follower’s buying intention and the mediating effect of consumer attitude towards it. The research involves a target audience of the age group 16-40 years. The data was gathered from 284 participants using a purposive sampling technique. Then the measurement and structural models were taken into account to carry out analysis. As per the results, all hypotheses are accepted except one hypothesis. Findings suggest that attractiveness has the most effect on the purchase intention of the followers, followed by similarity. It was found that the consumer attitude behaves as a mediator between attractiveness of SMIs and follower’s purchase intention. Besides that, trustworthiness also affects the followers’ purchase intention but to a lesser extent compared to attractiveness and similarity. Moreover, no relationship exists between follower’s purchase intention and expertise. This research aims to assist brand managers in assessing the potential benefits of investing in SMIs and understanding their key attributes that significantly impact consumer preferences. By identifying the types of SMIs that resonate most with consumers, the research seeks to provide insights into whether engaging with SMIs can enhance product sales and contribute positively to overall business.
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