I don't just follow, I co-create! Unpacking how food influencers impact the co-creation of organic food brands

Purpose Food influencers are increasingly shaping sustainable consumer behaviors in the food sector. However, the impact of food influencers on the co-creation of organic food brands (BC) is underexplored. In response, this study integrates the heuristic systematic model (HSM) and social exchange theory (SET) to investigate the effect of influencer content quality and credibility on BC through the mediation of consumer brand engagement (CBE) and the moderation of reciprocity norms. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a survey design to collect data from 341 respondents who actively interact with food influencers in Tanzania. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The results indicate that influencer content quality and credibility impact CBE. Also, CBE mediates the effect of influencer’s content quality and credibility on BC. Besides, unlike influencer credibility, the effect of influencer’s content quality on BC is moderated by reciprocity norms. Originality/value Combining HSM and SET enriches the understanding of how the dual processing of systematic cues (content quality) and heuristic cues (credibility) impacts BC through psychological and social mechanisms. The study emphasizes the role of social exchange aspects in shaping co-creation in the organic food context. Thus, providing actionable insights to organic food marketers on how to foster BC by integrating both systematic (content quality) and heuristic (credibility) persuasive cues with psychological mechanisms (CBE) and relational exchange mechanisms (reciprocity norms) in their marketing campaigns.