THE EFFECT OF INFLUENCER AUTHENTICITY ON BRAND CREDIBILITY AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Background to the Study

Influencer marketing grown from niche promotional tactic into mainstream pillar of digital marketing strategy with brands across virtually every category — fashion, beauty, food, finance, technology — partnering with social media personalities to reach audiences through content perceived as more personal and relatable than traditional advertising per De Veirman Cauberghe & Hudders 2017. Appeal rests substantially on premise influencers unlike traditional celebrity endorsers perceived by followers as ordinary relatable individuals whose product endorsements carry credibility of trusted peer rather than paid spokesperson. This premise however come under increasing strain as influencer marketing scaled and commercialised. As sponsored content proliferated consumers grown more attuned to and more sceptical of commercial motives behind influencer endorsements giving rise to what marketing scholars term authenticity work — deliberate strategies influencers use to signal genuine personally held opinions amid pervasive sponsorship per Audrezet de Kerviler & Guidry Moulard 2020. Influencer authenticity — extent to which influencer perceived to express honest unbiased and personally consistent views rather than purely transactional promotion — consequently emerged as critical construct understanding whether and how influencer endorsements translate into brand credibility and favourable consumer behaviour. Within Nigeria and specifically among social media users in urban centres such as Enugu metropolis influencer marketing become highly visible feature of digital landscape spanning spectrum from large-following macro-influencers and celebrities to smaller more niche micro-influencers with tightly engaged follower communities. Anecdotal industry commentary and emerging global research suggest smaller-following influencers may paradoxically be perceived as more authentic and trustworthy than larger-following counterparts precisely because of more personal less overtly commercial tone per Kay Mulcahy & Parkinson 2020. Whether this pattern holds among Enugu metropolis social media users and whether influencer authenticity meaningfully shapes brand credibility and downstream consumer purchase behaviour in this specific market remains open empirical question. This study therefore examines effect of influencer authenticity on brand credibility and consumer behaviour among social media users in Enugu metropolis with particular attention to whether brand credibility functions as mediating mechanism through which authenticity translates into purchase intention and whether perceived authenticity differs systematically between followers of micro- and macro-influencers.

Statement of the Problem

Despite substantial and growing budgets Nigerian brands allocate to influencer marketing there remains considerable uncertainty about which influencer attributes actually drive favourable consumer outcomes. Many brands continue to select influencer partners primarily on basis of follower count and reach approach increasingly challenged by marketing scholars who argue perceived authenticity rather than audience size is more decisive factor in determining whether endorsement builds genuine brand credibility per Audrezet et al. 2020. Uncertainty raises several unresolved concerns. First unclear how social media users in Enugu metropolis specifically perceive and evaluate influencer authenticity and whether perception varies meaningfully between smaller-following micro-influencers and larger-following macro-influencers. Second while growing body international literature links influencer authenticity to brand credibility and purchase outcomes empirical evidence from Nigerian social media contexts — where influencer marketing norms follower expectations and platform usage patterns may differ from Western or East Asian contexts in which most existing research was conducted — remains limited. Third specific mechanism by which influencer authenticity influences consumer purchase behaviour — whether directly or indirectly through effect on brand credibility — received limited empirical testing using formal mediation analysis within Nigerian market leaving brands with limited evidence-based guidance on where in consumer decision journey authenticity actually exerts its influence. Against background study sets out to examine effect among social media users in Enugu metropolis in order to generate empirically grounded evidence to guide more effective influencer selection and partnership strategy.

Aim and Objectives of the Study

Aim is to examine effect of influencer authenticity on brand credibility and consumer behaviour among social media users in Enugu metropolis.

·         Examine consumers' perception of influencer authenticity on social media.

·         Assess effect of influencer authenticity on brand credibility.

·         Evaluate effect of brand credibility on consumer purchase intention.

·         Determine whether brand credibility mediates relationship between influencer authenticity and consumer purchase intention.

·         Compare perceived influencer authenticity between followers of micro-influencers and macro-influencers.

Research Questions

1.      How do consumers in Enugu metropolis perceive influencer authenticity on social media?

2.      What effect does influencer authenticity have on brand credibility?

3.      What effect does brand credibility have on consumer purchase intention?

4.      Does brand credibility mediate relationship between influencer authenticity and consumer purchase intention?

5.      Is there significant difference in perceived influencer authenticity between followers of micro-influencers and macro-influencers?

Research Hypotheses

·         H01: Influencer authenticity does not significantly affect brand credibility.

·         H02: Brand credibility does not significantly affect consumer purchase intention.

·         H03: Brand credibility does not significantly mediate relationship between influencer authenticity and consumer purchase intention.

·         H04: There is no significant difference in perceived influencer authenticity between followers of micro-influencers and macro-influencers.

Significance of the Study

Holds relevance for several categories stakeholders. To brand managers and marketing practitioners findings offer evidence-based insight into whether influencer authenticity and not merely reach should guide influencer selection and partnership strategy supporting more effective allocation of budgets. To influencers and content creators themselves provides insight into how authenticity perceptions shape commercial value to brands potentially informing how they manage sponsored-content disclosure and content style. To social media platforms and advertising regulators findings on consumer scepticism and authenticity perception can inform disclosure-policy and platform-design considerations. To academic community extends Source Credibility Theory and Persuasion Knowledge Model literature into specific Nigerian social media context with formal mediation-analysis test of authenticity-credibility-behaviour pathway that remains comparatively rare in Nigerian marketing research. Finally serves as methodological and empirical reference for students and future researchers examining influencer marketing brand credibility or digital consumer behaviour in Nigeria.

Scope of the Study

Delimited to examination of effect of influencer authenticity on brand credibility and consumer behaviour among social media users resident in Enugu metropolis comprising Enugu East, Enugu North and Enugu South LGAs. Focuses on respondents' perceptions of influencer authenticity, brand credibility and purchase intention in relation to influencers they personally follow rather than evaluation of any single named influencer or brand. Cross-sectional with data collected within defined period and does not track attitude or behaviour change over time. Sample 318 social media users determined using Cochran formula for unknown population selected through multi-stage sampling 24-item Likert questionnaire.

Limitations of the Study

Subject to certain limitations typical of survey-based consumer research. First perceptions of influencer authenticity brand credibility and purchase intention measured through self-reported attitudes rather than observed purchase behaviour introducing possibility of intention-behaviour gaps common in attitudinal research. Second respondents' classification of primary followed influencer as micro or macro self-determined based on provided follower-count anchors and some variation in interpretation may remain. Third focus on Enugu metropolis limits generalisability to other Nigerian regions with different social media usage patterns. Mitigated through clear questionnaire framing with illustrative examples anonymised data collection and statistically adequate sample size.

Operational Definition of Terms

·         Influencer Authenticity: Extent to which social media influencer perceived by followers to express honest personally held opinions and to maintain consistency between content and personal values rather than purely transactional promotion.

·         Brand Credibility: Extent to which consumers perceive brand's claims and endorsements as believable and trustworthy encompassing both perceived expertise and perceived trustworthiness.

·         Consumer Behaviour: Decision-making processes and actions of individuals in evaluating intending to purchase and purchasing products or services operationalised primarily through purchase intention.

·         Micro-Influencer: Social media content creator with comparatively smaller more niche following for purposes of study approximately 1,000 to 100,000 followers often associated with higher perceived engagement and relatability.

·         Macro-Influencer: Social media content creator with comparatively larger following for purposes above 100,000 followers often associated with broader reach but potentially lower perceived personal relatability.

·         Mediation: Statistical relationship in which effect of independent variable on dependent variable operates wholly or partly through intervening mediating variable.

·         Purchase Intention: Consumer's self-reported likelihood or willingness to purchase product or service used as proxy indicator of consumer behaviour.

Short Conclusion

Findings revealed influencer authenticity significantly and positively predicts brand credibility β=0.612 p<0.05; brand credibility significantly and positively predicts consumer purchase intention β=0.489 p<0.05; brand credibility significantly and partially mediates relationship between influencer authenticity and purchase intention reducing direct effect from β=0.518 to β=0.241 upon inclusion of mediator Sobel z=6.87 p<0.05; and followers of micro-influencers reported significantly higher perceived influencer authenticity than followers of macro-influencers t=8.02 p<0.05. Concluded influencer authenticity significant driver of both brand credibility and consumer purchase behaviour operating substantially though not entirely through effect on brand credibility and that smaller-following micro-influencers currently enjoy distinct authenticity advantage over larger macro-influencers among Enugu metropolis social media users. Recommended brands prioritise authenticity and genuine fit over follower count when selecting partners invest in longer-term rather than one-off relationships to build credibility and micro-influencer partnerships be given greater strategic weight in Nigerian influencer marketing budgets.

10 SEO-Friendly FAQs

1. Does influencer authenticity affect brand credibility?

Yes significantly positively predicts β=0.612 p<0.05; perceived honest unbiased personally consistent views rather than purely transactional promotion builds believability trustworthiness of brand claims.

2. Does brand credibility affect purchase intention?

Yes β=0.489 p<0.05; credible brands perceived expertise and trustworthiness increase likelihood willingness to purchase product.

3. Does brand credibility mediate authenticity-purchase intention link?

Yes significant partial mediation Sobel z=6.87 p<0.05; direct effect reduces from β=0.518 total to β=0.241 upon inclusion of mediator indicating substantial though not exclusive portion operates through credibility.

4. Are micro-influencers perceived more authentic than macro-influencers?

Yes followers of micro-influencers 1k-100k reported significantly higher perceived authenticity than followers of macro-influencers >100k t=8.02 p<0.05 among 318 Enugu metropolis users.

5. Why are micro-influencers seen as more authentic?

Smaller niche following higher engagement more personal less overtly commercial tone greater intimacy transparency relatability strengthens brand alignment per Kay et al. 2020 and recent micro vs macro studies.

6. What is influencer authenticity?

Extent influencer perceived to express honest personally held opinions maintain consistency between content and personal values rather than purely transactional promotion per Audrezet et al. 2020 authenticity work.

7. What methodology was used?

Descriptive survey 318 social media users Enugu metropolis Enugu East North South LGAs determined via Cochran formula unknown population multi-stage sampling 24-item 5-point Likert questionnaire analysed via SPSS 26 descriptive simple linear regression mediation Baron Kenny Sobel independent samples t-test.

8. What should brands prioritize when selecting influencers?

Prioritise authenticity genuine fit over follower count, invest in longer-term rather than one-off relationships to build credibility, give greater strategic weight to micro-influencer partnerships in Nigerian influencer marketing budgets.

9. What theories explain authenticity effects?

Source Credibility Theory (Hovland 1951) expertise trustworthiness, Persuasion Knowledge Model consumer attunement to commercial motives, parasocial relationship theory.

10. Where to find similar influencer marketing project topics?

Explore influencer authenticity brand credibility consumer behaviour topics on ScholarNestHub marketing collection and research on impact of influencer authenticity on purchase intentions and persuasive power of influencers.