Peer Review Report For: Influencer Marketing and Purchase Intention: The Role of Consumer Attitude [version 1; peer review: 2 approved with reservations]

Background The rapid growth of social media has created new opportunities for brands to reach consumers through influencer marketing. While influencers are increasingly recognized as effective opinion leaders, less is known about the psychological mechanisms through which their content shapes purchasing behaviour. This study investigates the impact of influencer marketing on consumers’ purchase intentions, with particular attention to the mediating role of consumer attitude. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and June 2025. Data were collected from 326 active social media users who follow influencers online. Respondents completed a structured questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale. The data were analysed with SPSS and AMOS, employing reliability testing, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and structural equation modelling. Mediation was tested using bootstrapping procedures with 5,000 resamples. Results The measurement models demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity after refinement. The structural model indicated that influencer marketing exerted a strong positive effect on purchase intention (β = 0.83, R 2 = 0.68, p < .001). When consumer attitude was introduced as a mediator, the direct effect of influencer marketing on purchase intention decreased (β ≈ 0.44–0.46) but remained significant. The indirect effect through consumer attitude was also significant (≈ 0.39, p < .001), confirming that attitude partially mediates the relationship. Conclusions The findings highlight the dual role of influencer marketing in shaping consumer decisions: directly influencing purchase intention while also operating indirectly through favourable attitudes. For practitioners, the results emphasize the importance of selecting influencers who are credible, authentic, and aligned with the brand, as well as creating engaging, high-quality content that encourages interaction with followers. The study contributes to theory by reinforcing the mediating role of attitude in the persuasion process and offers practical guidance for designing more effective influencer marketing campaigns.