The Power of Persuasion: how Influencer Credibility, Persuasion Knowledge and Brand Attitude drive Purchase Intent

Abstract

The digital world is constantly evolving, and with it have appear new forms of communication, like influencer marketing, that impact and alter consumer behavior. Influencers are powerful tools used by brands to endorse their products and widen their audience reach with minimum effort and in a short period of time. Along with this new marketing approach, the need to understand what makes one influencer campaign more successful than others has also raised. This research studies three variables that could answer to that question: influencer’s credibility, persuasion knowledge and brand Attitude. In order to do so, this study analyses the effect they have on the final purchase intent of consumers by conducting a survey to a sample with 103 respondents. The results showed that the awareness of consumers to persuasive tactics and the positive perception towards the brand endorsed are not significant when explaining the ultimate purchase decision of consumers, while how credible and trustworthy the influencer is perceived to be is. With this evidence, this research aims to advice brands on how to achieve a successful marketing campaign by choosing the most adequate influencer and effectively increase their growth in a sustained way.