A study on the mediating role of para-social relationship and credibility in the effect of consumer-influencer-brand congruence on purchase intention

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of influencer-consumer congruence and influencer-brand congruence on parasocial relationship, influencer credibility, and online purchase intention. Another aim is to investigate the mediating role of parasocial relationship in the effect of influencer-consumer congruence on online purchase intention, and the mediating role of influencer credibility in the effect of influencer-brand congruence on online purchase intention. For these purposes, a questionnaire form was prepared and influencers specialized in certain fields were listed together with highly compatible brands and the participants were asked to respond. 800 people were distributed the questionnaire online and data were obtained from 560 people in total. Incomplete and incorrect answers were excluded from the scope of the research. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS programs. As a result of the research, consumer-influencer congruence and influencer brand congruence positively and significantly affect para-social relationship, influencer credibility and online purchase intention. It has been determined that para-social relationship has a mediating role on the online purchase intention of consumer-influencer congruence. At the same time, it was concluded that influencer credibility has a mediating role on the online purchase intention of influencer-brand congruence.