Consumer trust and transformation: The power of influencer marketing

Abstract

Influencer Marketing has become a powerful player in the changing landscape of consumer demand and how businesses market their products and services as a result of the digitalization of goods and services. This study investigates how Consumer Engagement is developed through influencer marketing, characterised by such qualities as authenticity, credibility and high-quality content. This, has an influence on how products and services are evolving in the digital era. By following a mixed-methods research design, the research utilizes qualitative findings from real-brand case studies (Nike and Glossier) as well as quantitative data collected from 214 individuals by using questionnaires. Influencer characteristics and authentic and high-quality contents are found to have significant impact on customer engagement for all emotional, behavioural and cognitive engagement factors. Furthermore, trust among consumers mediates the relationship of influencer input with engagement and finally engagement fosters innovation and co-creation in goods and services design. The structural model evaluated by PLS-SEM reveals significant direct and indirect effects among the variables and customer interaction is found essential in facilitating the conversion of products and services. Practical implication Influencers should not just be perceived as a tool for marketing by business but as a strategic innovation partner. By offering a robust conceptualization for researchers and marketers navigating at the intersection of digital influence and consumer co-creation, the research contributes to developing the conceptual understanding of engagement and trust, as processes linking influencer marketing to organizational innovation.