EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF INFLUENCER AUTHENTICITY ON BRAND PERCEPTION AND CONSUMER TRUST
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31539/costing.v7i6.14275Keywords:
Innovative HR Management Strategies, Employee Performance, Digital Competency Development, Employee Experience.Abstract
This study explores the impact of influencer authenticity on brand perception and consumer trust, with consumer engagement as a mediating variable, specifically focusing on Wardah consumers in Padang. Using a quantitative approach, data was collected from 100 respondents aged 20-30 years who use Wardah products, applying a simple random sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS was used to analyze relationships among variables. The findings indicate that influencer authenticity has a significant and direct impact on both brand perception and consumer trust, with higher levels of authenticity enhancing consumer perceptions and trust in the brand. Although consumer engagement partially mediates the relationship between influencer authenticity and brand perception, it has a weaker mediating effect on consumer trust. This suggests that while consumer engagement reinforces brand perception, trust in the brand primarily stems from perceptions of influencer authenticity. The results underscore the importance of genuine influencer partnerships for brands like Wardah to foster strong, trust-based connections with their audience, especially in culturally specific markets. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how influencer marketing dynamics affect consumer attitudes, offering practical implications for brand positioning and trust-building strategies.
References
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Pansari, A., & Kumar, V. (2017). Customer engagement: The construct, antecedents, and consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), 294-311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0485-6
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2020). Celebrity vs. influencer endorsements in advertising: The role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. International Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898
Stewart, D. (2019). Authenticity at stake: How social media influencers negotiate commercial partnerships. Marketing Theory, 19(3), 437-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593119827921
Veirman, M. D., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798-828. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2017.1348035
Vivek, S. D., Beatty, S. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2012). Customer engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 122-146. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679200201
Alves, H., Fernandes, C., & Raposo, M. (2016). Social media marketing: A literature review and implications. Psychology & Marketing, 33(12), 1029-1038. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20936
Arli, D., Grace, A., Palmer, J., & Pham, C. (2017). Exploring the influence of cause-related marketing on consumer purchase intention: The role of religious orientation. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 35, 48-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.12.002
Audrezet, A., de Kerviler, G., & Guidry Moulard, J. (2018). Authenticity under threat: When social media influencers need to go beyond self-presentation. Journal of Business Research, 96, 37-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.027
Baker, T. L., Rapp, A., Meyer, T., & Mullins, R. (2014). The role of brand communications on front line service employee beliefs, behaviors, and performance. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 42(6), 642-657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0376-7
Barger, V. A., Peltier, J. W., & Schultz, D. E. (2016). Social media and consumer engagement: A review and research agenda. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 10(4), 268-287. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-06-2016-0065
Brodie, R. J., Ilic, A., Juric, B., & Hollebeek, L. (2013). Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis. Journal of Business Research, 66(1), 105-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.029
Cheung, M. L., Pires, G. D., Rosenberger, P. J., Leung, W. K. S., & Chang, M. K. (2021). The influence of perceived social media marketing elements on consumer–brand engagement and brand knowledge. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 33(4), 1063-1084. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJML-04-2020-0246
Chen, Y. R. R., & Lin, J. S. (2018). The impact of value, brand, and consumer engagement on loyalty in a highly competitive fashion market. Journal of Business Research, 85, 161-170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.12.045
Dessart, L., Veloutsou, C., & Morgan-Thomas, A. (2015). Consumer engagement in online brand communities: A social media perspective. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 24(1), 28-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-06-2014-0635
Djafarova, E., & Trofimenko, O. (2019). ‘Instafamous’–credibility and self-presentation of micro-celebrities on social media. Information, Communication & Society, 22(10), 1432-1446. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1438491
Gefen, D. (2002). Reflections on the dimensions of trust and trustworthiness among online consumers. ACM SIGMIS Database: The DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 33(3), 38-53. https://doi.org/10.1145/569905.569910
Hollebeek, L. D., Glynn, M. S., & Brodie, R. J. (2014). Consumer brand engagement in social media: Conceptualization, scale development and validation. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(2), 149-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.12.002
Jin, S. V., Muqaddam, A., & Ryu, E. (2019). Instafamous and social media influencer marketing. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 37(5), 567-579. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-09-2018-0375
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson. https://doi.org/10.1108/02634501011078138
Laroche, M., Habibi, M. R., & Richard, M. O. (2013). To be or not to be in social media: How brand loyalty is affected by social media? International Journal of Information Management, 33(1), 76-82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2012.07.003
Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19(1), 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2018.1533501
McKnight, D. H., Choudhury, V., & Kacmar, C. (2002). Developing and validating trust measures for e-commerce: An integrative typology. Information Systems Research, 13(3), 334-359. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.13.3.334.81
Morhart, F. M., Malär, L., Guevremont, A., Girardin, F., & Grohmann, B. (2015). Brand authenticity: An integrative framework and measurement scale. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(2), 200-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2014.11.006
Pansari, A., & Kumar, V. (2017). Customer engagement: The construct, antecedents, and consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(3), 294-311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-016-0485-6
Schouten, A. P., Janssen, L., & Verspaget, M. (2020). Celebrity vs. influencer endorsements in advertising: The role of identification, credibility, and Product-Endorser fit. International Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898
Stewart, D. (2019). Authenticity at stake: How social media influencers negotiate commercial partnerships. Marketing Theory, 19(3), 437-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593119827921
Veirman, M. D., Cauberghe, V., & Hudders, L. (2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798-828. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2017.1348035
Vivek, S. D., Beatty, S. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2012). Customer engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 122-146. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679200201
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2024-12-31
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