The mediating role of parasocial interaction in the relationship between influencer credibility and brand Evangelism

With the emergence of social media, the means and strategies for communicating with customers have differed significantly, and it has been observed that social media has begun to have a significant impact on consumption decisions. Recognizing this impact, brands have increased their use of "influencer marketing" to capitalize on people's increasing use of social media. It is suggested that one of the primary ways for consumers to develop a positive attitude towards brands is the increase in the credibility of the message-conveying source. Building on the fact that the relationship between source credibility and brand attitude is predominantly based on celebrities and influencers in the literature, this study proposes that influencer credibility may go beyond influencing brand loyalty to a more advanced level, namely brand evangelism. In addition, it is predicted that parasocial interaction between influencers and consumers may mediate this relationship. Therefore, the aim of the study is to examine the direct relationships between influencer credibility dimensions (attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise) and brand evangelism dimensions (purchase intention, positive brand referrals, oppositional brand referrals) and the indirect relationships along with the mediating role of parasocial interaction. In this context, the credibility of influencers was examined in the dimensions of attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise by making use of the source credibility literature, and the concepts of influencer credibility, brand evangelism and parasocial interaction were explored. In this regard, the research questions were tested with the survey method using the quantitative research method with the data obtained from 290 people who are social media users. Analyzes for the research questions were conducted using Structural Equation Modeling. According to the results of the study, it was concluded that there was a partial direct relationship between influencer credibility dimensions and brand evangelism dimensions and a partial indirect relationship through parasocial interaction. Keywords Influencer Marketing, Influencer Credibility, Parasocial Interaction, Brand Evangelism