The mediating role of parasocial interaction theory in the effect of short video marketing and source credibility on brand perception

With the widespread use of social media platforms, short video content has become an effective marketing tool for brands. These entertaining and easily consumable videos offer brands increased visibility and the opportunity to build emotional connections with consumers due to their high engagement potential. However, for such content to have a lasting impact on brand perception, it must not only be visually appealing but also be delivered by content creators perceived as trustworthy by the audience. In this context, the theory of parasocial interaction provides a strong theoretical foundation by explaining how one-sided yet emotionally intense bonds between users and content creators can shape brand perception. Although the short video market has grown rapidly in recent years, it remains underexplored in academic research. This study adopts a holistic approach by addressing multidimensional topics such as consumer psychology, digital interaction dynamics, source credibility, and brand perception. Thus, it offers original contributions not only to the field of digital marketing but also to media studies, communication sciences, and behavioral economics. Focusing on how short video content influences consumer perception and the role of content creators, the research fills both a theoretical and practical gap in the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape, while also providing strategic insights for practitioners regarding content planning and influencer selection. The study examines the effects of short video marketing and source credibility on parasocial interaction and brand perception. Data were collected from 600 participants via an online survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that short video marketing has a direct and significant effect on brand perception but does not significantly influence parasocial interaction. Conversely, source credibility significantly affects parasocial interaction but not brand perception directly. Parasocial interaction plays a full mediating role between source credibility and brand perception and a partial mediating role between short video marketing and brand perception. These results highlight the critical role of content creator trustworthiness and emotional connection in shaping brand perception in digital marketing. Keywords: Short video marketing, source credibility, parasocial interaction theory, brand perception.