Parasocial Capital and Conversion: How Creator–Audience Relationships Shape Purchase Behavior in Beauty and Wellness Campaigns

Regina Iakupova
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Regina Iakupova: Founder / UGC Creator / Creative Strategist, Regina Media LLC, Miami, Florida, United States

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Abstract: Creator-driven marketing has altered how beauty and wellness brands approach consumer acquisition, yet the mechanisms connecting parasocial relationships to measurable purchase outcomes remain underspecified in the literature. This study examines how repeated, trust- anchored interactions between digital content creators and their audiences accumulate into what the author terms parasocial capital, and how that capital translates into conversion behavior in beauty and wellness campaigns. Drawing on a systematic review of 18 peer-reviewed studies and industry reports, supplemented by case analysis of campaigns executed with brands including Ulta Beauty, Nutrafol, Bubble Skincare, and Dyson, the research constructs the Parasocial Capital Conversion Model (PCCM) as an original analytical framework. Findings show that long-term creator partnerships generate trust scores 29 percentage points above traditional display advertising and yield conversion rates of 6-12%, compared to 1-2% for scripted brand ads. The study identifies perceived authenticity, content consistency, and category expertise as the three primary drivers of conversion-ready parasocial capital. Results carry direct implications for brand managers, agency strategists, and UGC creators operating in the U.S. digital marketing economy.

Keywords: wellness campaigns; purchase conversion; creator economy; branded content authenticity; beauty marketing; influencer marketing; UGC creators; user-generated content; parasocial capital; parasocial relationships (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-08-10
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Published in European Journal of Management, Economics and Business, 2025, 2 (4), pp.199-210. ⟨10.59324/ejmeb.2025.2(4).15⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05712182

DOI: 10.59324/ejmeb.2025.2(4).15

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