Content Value Versus Influencer Credibility: What Matters More for Followers’ Trust and Behavioral Intention Towards Collaborative Brands?

Abstract

AbstractInstagram is one of the top three most popular social media platforms in Indonesia. Nowadays, many local brand owners collaborate with influencers to promote products or services sold through Instagram. This study examines the extent to which influencer credibility and advertising content value are shared to create brand trust and consumer behavioral intention. The online survey was distributed to 206 followers of three female Indonesian fashion influencers with at least four hundred thousand followers on Instagram. The results show that influencer credibility and advertising content significantly and directly influence brand trust towards Indonesian fashion products promoted by influencers. Brand trust also significantly and directly influences the followers’ behavioral intentions. However, the influencer’s credibility and his advertising content value indirectly influence the followers’ behavioral intentions through brand trust. These findings indicate that brands under influencer endorsements must first earn trust from the followers prior to encouraging their behavioral intention.