Influencer-consumer fit and intention to co-create brand value: The serial mediation of influencer authenticity and attitude toward brand

Social media influencer marketing has emerged as an essential marketing strategy in the online interactive environment. This study investigates the impact of influencer-consumer fit (ICF) on behavioral intentions; intention to co-create brand value (ICC) and purchase intention (PI), with the serial mediation of influencer authenticity (IA) and attitude toward brand (ATB). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to followers of social media influencers in Pakistan. The data were collected from 421 female followers of social media influencers through survey and partial least squares—structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. The findings reveal that ICF impacts IA, while the latter impacts ATB. ATB in turn impacts behavioral intentions. The direct effects suggest that ICF impacts consumers’ PI but not the ICC. However, with the serial mediation of IA and ATB, the relationship becomes significant. The findings of this study may assist managers in building brand strategies to achieve excellence in a highly dynamic and competitive market by leveraging the power of influencer marketing.