The effect on purchase intention of social media influencers recommendations

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the impact of involvement (measured through fashion conciousness), perceived authenticity of the message, and perceived risk on purchase recommendations made by influencers. Furthermore, the relationship between these variables is investigated as a risk mitigator in the purchase intention, being induced by influencers in their followers. The global rise of social media has created a new context in which the figure of influencers has become a strategic communication tool that makes the product more familiar, acceptable and desirable to the audience. However, the negative aspects that could influence the purchase intention, such as the risk perceived by the audience, have not yet been studied in depth. To fill this gap, we present a structural equation model using the SmartPLS tool on 948 influencer followers. The results obtained suggest the remarkable influence of involvement with the product, the authenticity of the message and the presence of risk derived from the recommendations; as well as a strong impact of the authenticity of the message as the main mitigating factor of the perceived risk.