Impact of Social Media Influencer Credibility on Purchase Intention for Personal Care Products: The Mediating Effect of Consumer Attitude

Abstract

With the growing dominance of digital marketing, social media influencers are indispensable in shaping consumer behavioural intention, specifically in the personal care fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Personal grooming has gained popularity among both males and females, leading to increased use of skincare, haircare, oral care, and related products. To expand market reach, companies are partnering with influential experts, and consumers are turning to social media to get insights into market trends and product information. Social media influencers connect with their audience through content creation, which extensively impacts followers' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards products. The study investigates the impact of influencer credibility on consumer behavioural intention for personal care products by analyzing the mediating effect of consumer attitude. The factors of influencer source credibility (trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness) provide an understanding of consumer buying behavior in Uttar Pradesh, India. The research implements a quantitative approach, and data were gathered through a structured questionnaire. Purposive sampling method was selected to gather data from 200 social media users aged 15 to 45 years. The collected data were analyzed using PLS-SEM through SmartPLS 4. The finding exhibits a significant association between consumer attitudes and purchase intentions (B = 0.492, P = 0.000). Moreover, trustworthiness significantly influenced consumer attitude, followed by attractiveness, with no influence of expertise. Additionally, trustworthiness significantly influenced consumer purchase intention, followed by expertise and attractiveness. The findings provide insightful strategies for companies and marketers seeking to partner with credible experts who can matched with their values and products. Moreover, the findings provide insights for influencers regarding the importance of their credibility and how they can effectively influence consumer decisions.