The Effect of Influencer Marketing on Consumers’ Brand Admiration and Online Purchase Intentions: An Emerging Market Perspective

Abstract

This paper focuses on consumer electronics products and observes the comparative effect of celebrity vis-à-vis expert influencers on consumers' online purchase intentions. The mediating role played by brand admiration and brand attitude between influencer marketing and online purchase intentions are tested. The moderating role played by message involvement between influencer marketing and brand attitude is also observed. The survey method was employed to conduct this research, and data were collected from 438 respondents. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling, hierarchical regression analysis, and Hayes process method. The results submit that there is a definite advantage in choosing an expert influencer over an attractive celebrity influencer while planning the marketing communications of consumer electronics products. The mediating role of brand attitude and brand admiration is empirically evident. The moderating effect of involvement is also established.

Keywords:

• Brand admiration
• brand attitude
• influencer marketing
• message process involvement
• millennials
• online purchase intentions