The role of social media influencers in transforming consumer perceptions and purchase intentions

The concept of social media marketing in the digital era holds greater value in gaining a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. Additionally, in the era of modern technology, the concept and tool of digital marketing have been of significance importance in social media influencer marketing and change consumer perceptions or the shape of consumers' perception regarding any product, brand, or service with the help of video, images, or any others meaningful updates on the platform of social media. Thus, in the modern digital era, influencer marketing holds greater significance on social media platforms. The current research study examined various elements related to social media influencer marketing and its impact on consumer purchase decisions, with a focus on the mediating effects of consumer attitudes in the Pakistani context. The study employed questionnaire-based methods for data collection and analysis. The current research study used quantitative methods to investigate social media influencer marketing, with a focus on the mediating effect of consumer attitude on consumer purchase intention. The era of digital marketing tools integrated with social media influencer marketing, where social media influencers are individuals, has altered the way consumers perceive products through social media platforms. Through non-probability convenience sampling, aided by a physical questionnaire and a Google Form link shared with respondents who use social media, the current research study employed structural equation modeling. The results suggested that Trustworthiness, Attractiveness, Expertise, and Meaning have a positive association with the consumer attitude, and the consumer attitude has a positive association with consumer purchase intention. However, the results found that consumer attitudes have not supported the Celebrity product match-up. Further mediating effects demonstrate that the celebrity product match-up and consumer purchase intention did not mediate the relationship between consumer attitude and the celebrity product match-up.