Influencer Credibility and Purchase Intention: Medating Role of Brand Awareness
Associate professor, School of Business, Department of Management, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract
Globally, brands and marketers are leveraging the vast potential of social media influencers (SMI) to promote their products and services. Therefore, followers of SMIs are more likely to be influenced by the SMIs' opinions. To ensure that the advertised message resonates with the target audience, it is necessary to determine whether the target audience views the SMI as a credible source for the message. This study examines the influence of multiple dimensions of source credibility, including expertise, trustworthiness, attractiveness, and similarity, using data from 178 social media users. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by examining source credibility's role in determining influencer marketing's effectiveness by measuring its effect on brand awareness and purchase intent. In addition, the mediating role of brand awareness is evaluated.