Examining Effects of Social Media Influencer Marketing on Consumer Purchasing Behavior of Fruiticana Soft Drinks in Central Business District of Lusaka, Zambia

This study examines the influence of social media influencer marketing on consumer purchasing behaviour for the Fruiticana soft drinks in the Central Business District of Lusaka, Zambia. Fruiticana is a product of Big Tree Company, a subsidiary of the Trade Kings group of companies. The Fruiticana range of soft drinks was introduced to the market in 2019. The rapid proliferation of social media has significantly reshaped consumer decision-making and transformed how firms engage with audiences. Within this evolving digital environment, influencer marketing has emerged as a prominent strategy for shaping consumer perceptions and stimulating purchase decisions. Despite its increasing adoption, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of influencer marketing in developing countries, particularly within Zambia’s beverage sector, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by analysing how exposure to influencer-generated content affects consumer engagement, perceptions, and purchasing behaviour. Guided by three objectives assessing consumer engagement with social media, measuring exposure to influencer-generated content, and evaluating the effect of influencer marketing on purchasing behaviour, the study employed a mixed-methods approach using a convergent parallel design grounded in a pragmatic research paradigm. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 272 respondents selected using simple random sampling. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with 27 purposively selected participants. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS through descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis, whereas qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo. The results show that consumers exhibit moderate levels of social media engagement, characterised by frequent platform use but limited active interaction with influencer content. Although exposure to influencer-generated content was relatively high, it was primarily passive and algorithm-driven. Regression analysis revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between influencer exposure and purchasing behaviour (R² = 0.176, p