INFLUENCER CREDIBILITY AND BRAND REPUTATION IN SHAPING TRUST AND PURCHASE INTENTION: EXPLORING GENERATION Z'S RESPONSE TO LOCAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS ON TIKTOK

Driven by societal pressures and beauty standards, skincare products have become a daily necessity, especially through TikTok, emerging as a prominent platform for beauty trends. This study explores the impact of brand reputation on purchase intention for local beauty products among Generation Z, examining the moderating role of TikTok influencer credibility and the mediating effect of trust. Although TikTok has become a powerful platform for shaping consumer behavior, particularly purchase intention, the extent to which influencer credibility moderates the relationship between brand reputation and purchase intention remains insufficiently examined. This research addresses this gap in the literature by proposing a single framework and conducting an experiment to assess how influencer credibility influences the strength of brand reputation’s effect on purchase intention. A quantitative approach was applied using a 2 (brand reputation: positive vs. negative) × 2 (influencer credibility: high vs. low) between-subjects experimental design, involving 135 participants who were randomly assigned to one of 4 different scenarios. The findings confirm that brand reputation significantly increases purchase intention. Moreover, an influencer with high credibility strengthens the positive impact of brand reputation on purchase intention. However, influencers with low credibility do not significantly affect consumer purchase decisions, highlighting the importance of authenticity and expertise over mere popularity. Interestingly, influencer credibility does not moderate the relationship between brand trust and purchase intention. Trust was found to fully mediate the relationship between brand reputation and purchase intention, serving as a crucial psychological mechanism that converts positive brand perceptions into buying behavior. This suggests that trust, grounded primarily in consumers’ direct brand experiences and overall reputation, is less influenced by external endorsements. These findings highlight the importance of managing brand reputation and partnering with credible influencers to maximize marketing effectiveness in Generation Z's purchasing decisions in the local beauty market.