Published Online:June 2025
Product Name:The IUP Journal of Brand Management
Product Type:Article
Product Code:IJBRM040625
DOI:10.71329/IUPJBRM/2025.22.2.81-101
Author Name:Vikas Kumar and Chetna
Availability:YES
Subject/Domain:Management
Download Format:PDF
Pages:81-101
The growing dependence on social media influencers (SMIs) as a critical part of digital marketing strategies has increased interest in how influencers impact consumer behavior. While existing studies recognize the importance of credibility and trust in shaping consumer opinions, there is a clear gap in research regarding how perceived authenticity influences consumer trust in influencer marketing. This is particularly relevant in today’s digital age, where authenticity is crucial to building trust. To address this gap, the study explores the connection between influencer authenticity and consumer trust using data from an online survey of 300 participants. Influencer authenticity was positively correlated with consumer trust through correlation and regression analysis. The results support the hypothesis that influencer authenticity is strongly associated with customer trust. Further, familiarity with influencers significantly affects customer trust. They align with prior findings on influencer marketing and credibility. The study deepens the understanding of how authenticity influences consumer behavior and offers valuable insights for marketers looking to build trust through partnerships with influencers.
The digital economy has been profoundly affected by how social media has altered consumer-brand interactions and choice of purchasing (Kapoor et al., 2017). Connecting with people through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube is now an essential marketing strategy. These social media platforms offer brands unparalleled personalized and interactive interaction opportunities to reach their target audience (Dwivedi et al.