The impact of strategic influencer interaction styles on consumer decision-making: An elaboration likelihood model perspective

Influencer marketing has become a pivotal tool in e-commerce, with recent research examining how various facets of influencer strategies impact consumer behavior. Grounded in the elaboration likelihood model, this study explores how different combinations of influencer interaction styles (authentic vs. professional) and engagement levels (active vs. passive) stimulates the peripheral and central routes to enhance consumer purchase intention, perceived enjoyment, brand perception, and emotional resonance. Through a series of experiments, respondents were exposed to one of four influencer scenarios and subsequently completed a survey assessing these outcomes. Initially, a choice-based conjoint analysis was conducted to estimate consumer preferences among the four interaction scenarios. Results revealed a clear preference for authentic active interactions, followed by authentic passive, with professional passive receiving the least preference. Following this, ANOVA was employed to assess the differences in purchase intention, perceived enjoyment, brand perception, and emotional resonance across the four interaction types. The findings confirmed significant differences among these variables based on the influencer interaction style and engagement level. A Tukey post-hoc test was then applied to identify specific pairwise differences among the interaction combinations, pinpointing which types yielded the most favorable outcomes. Additionally, the study investigated the mediating role of emotional resonance in the relationship between authentic active interactions and both consumer purchase intention and perceived enjoyment, and between professional active interation and consumer brand perception. The study's findings offer valuable contribution to the elaboration likelihood model framework and additionally provide managerial insights for retailers, suggesting that carefully tailored combinations of influencer authenticity and engagement can effectively enhance consumer engagement and drive purchasing behavior.