How do fashion endorsers’ credibility sources shape young consumers’ attitudes, perceptions, and purchase intents? Decoding fashion influencers using S-O-R perspective

Purpose This paper aims to analyse how fashion endorsers’ credibility sources interplay with brand perceptions, attitudes and purchase intents of fashion products through the lens of the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework and source credibility theory (SCT). Furthermore, this study also tests how influencer attitudes and brand perceptions mediate, as well as gender and age (Gen Z and Gen Y) moderate in the model. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model is built upon an expanded SCT combined with the S-O-R theoretical underpinning in the backdrop of fashion influencer marketing. A purposive sampling procedure is used to obtain responses from Indian young consumers. This study used covariance-based structural equation modelling along with mediation and multi-group analysis using AMOS 24. Findings The findings demonstrate that all source credibility indicators directly impact influencer attitudes except perceived credibility; however, brand perception was driven solely by attractiveness. Both brand perception and influencer attitudes directly impact purchase intentions. Furthermore, the attitudes acted as a partial mediator in the underlying relationships between all measures. Besides, age and gender partly moderated the research model. Research limitations/implications This study offers key insights for practitioners, marketers and academics regarding the crucial factors influencing purchase proclivity in the expanding fashion industry. In addition, the findings assist marketers to formulate promising strategies by employing appropriate influencers and also, foster the consumers purchase intentions. Originality/value This paper extends SCT by incorporating additional measures of perceived credibility with influencer attitudes and brand perceptions within the S-O-R framework. This combined framework provides a more nuanced understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying young consumers’ purchasing behaviour, especially in light of the developing Indian fashion market.