Influence Marketing Practices in the Digital Age and Consumer Behavior of Brokery Products in the City of Lubumbashi

With the intensive use of social networks today, we notice that brewing companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) collaborate with influencers to carry out their various communication campaigns. However, certain influence operations observed in the city of Lubumbashi are pushing managers and marketing specialists to question their effectiveness. This article examines the impact of influencer marketing used by Bralima and Bralima on the purchasing behavior of beverage consumers in Lubumbashi. Our study aims to explain how different influencer marketing practices impact consumers' purchasing decisions in this specific context. We adopted a quantitative approach in this research. Data collection was carried out using a survey using a survey questionnaire. A simple random sample of 384 individuals was selected. Data analysis was carried out by structural equation modeling, which made it possible to explore the relationships between the different variables and to test the hypotheses posed. The results show that influencer marketing practices have a positive and significant impact on the purchasing behavior of consumers of brewing products. Frequency of exposure to influencer posts, perceived credibility, and engagement with those posts all showed positive and significant relationships with purchase decision. Positive attitude towards influencers and personal identification with them also play key roles in the purchase decision. Active engagement with influencer posts strengthens purchase intent, as does the attractiveness and originality of posts. Influencers' persuasion, passion for the product, and direct recommendation are crucial factors positively and significantly influencing consumer purchasing behavior. Perceived affinity with influencers also shows a positive and significant influence on purchase likelihood.