Influencer marketing and Gen Z's purchase intentions: a structural equation modeling approach

Introduction Influencer marketing has become an important strategy for shaping consumer attitudes and purchase behavior, particularly among Generation Z consumers who are highly active on social media platforms. Although previous studies have examined influencer credibility and parasocial interaction separately, limited research has integrated influencer characteristics and content attributes within a unified framework, especially in emerging market contexts. This study investigates how influencer-related factors influence Generation Z consumers' purchase intention in India. Methods A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted. Data were collected from 370 Generation Z respondents from Tier-1 metropolitan cities in India who actively engage with influencer content on social media. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships among influencer expertise, influencer passion, content quality, frequency of exposure, engagement, trust, perception, and purchase intention. Results The findings indicate that trust and perception significantly influence purchase intention and act as key mediating mechanisms. Influencer expertise positively affects trust, while content quality positively affects perception. Frequency of exposure negatively affects perception, suggesting diminishing effectiveness of repeated influencer content. Engagement did not significantly influence purchase intention and did not function as a mediator in this context. Discussion This study contributes to the influencer marketing literature by integrating Source Credibility Theory and Parasocial Interaction Theory within a single structural model and by providing empirical evidence from an emerging market context. The findings offer practical implications for marketers targeting Generation Z consumers by emphasizing the importance of influencer credibility, authenticity, and high-quality content over excessive exposure strategies.