The Effects of SMIs’ Source Credibility on Consumers’ Intention to Purchase Local Cosmetic Products Through Attitude Towards Advertisements

The global influencer marketing industry, valued at USD 21.1 billion in 2023, has gained immense relevance for businesses, with Social Media Influencers (SMI) playing a pivotal role in marketing activities. In the competitive Malaysian local cosmetic industry, leveraging SMIs is particularly promising, given their substantial influence on consumer buying behaviour due to their credibility traits. By extending Ohanian’s (year) seminal 3-dimensional source credibility model, this research employs a 4-dimensional framework tailored to the context of SMIs. Through the purposive sampling technique, this study managed to collect 164 responses via self-administered questionnaires among young adults in the age range of 18–34 years old. Data were analysed using the structural equation modelling-partial least squares (PLS-SEM) method. Findings from this research suggest that SMIs’ trustworthiness and attractiveness affect consumers’ purchase intention through the mediating effects of attitude towards advertisements, while expertise and similarity do not. Essentially, the findings from this study contribute to the existing literature on SMIs’ credibility traits, offering valuable insights for local cosmetic industry stakeholders in their selection for product endorsements.