Influencer marketing: impact of authenticity on customer purchase intentions

Chaudhry Kashif Mahmood (), Harcharanjit Singh (), Tayyiba Khalil (), Tayyiba Khalil (), Faisal Aftab (), Hina Khan (), Imran Manzoor () and Kashif Ahmed Abdulhayee ()
Additional contact information
Chaudhry Kashif Mahmood: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Harcharanjit Singh: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
Tayyiba Khalil: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Tayyiba Khalil: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia
Faisal Aftab: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Hina Khan: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Imran Manzoor: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Kashif Ahmed Abdulhayee: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 2025, vol. 12, issue 4, 25-42

Abstract: Social Media Influencers (SMIs) are vital to the automotive sector by shaping consumer perceptions, increasing brand visibility, and driving purchase intentions through authentic and relatable content. Their ability to engage with specific audiences allows automotive brands to build trust and credibility, influencing the choices of prospective buyers. This study attempts to investigate the effect of SMI authenticity on consumer attitudes and purchasing intentions within the automobile sector in Pakistan. This study employs the Meaning Transfer Model of Celebrity Endorsement (McCracken, 1989) and the Authenticity Model of Computer-Mediated Communication (Lee, 2020) to investigate the impact of perceived authenticity on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions regarding automotive products. A quantitative approach was employed to collect data (N=385) from consumers in Pakistan who interact with SMIs in the automotive sector. The findings indicate that SMI authenticity significantly impacts consumer attitudes and purchase intentions, with consumer attitudes mediating between authenticity and purchase intentions. This study enhances the current literature on influencer marketing by highlighting the importance of authenticity in influencing consumer behaviour within high-involvement industries. The discourse encompasses ramifications for marketers and suggestions for subsequent research.

Keywords: social media influencers; perceived authenticity; consumer attitude toward SMI; consumer purchase intention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M31 M37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://jssidoi.org/jesi/uploads/articles/48/Mahmo ... hase_intentions.docx (application/pdf)
https://jssidoi.org/jesi/article/1298 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ssi:jouesi:v:12:y:2025:i:4:p:25-42

DOI: 10.9770/t8692335355

Access Statistics for this article

Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues is currently edited by Manuela Tvaronaviciene

More articles in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues from VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Manuela Tvaronaviciene ().