The model of success factors affecting consumer purchase intention by video advertising via online influencers

Abstract

The study was mixed-method research of both qualitative and quantitative, aimed 1) to study the development of advertising using an online influencer from the past to the present, and 2) to test a structural equation model of success factors affecting consumers’ purchase intention by video advertising via online influencers. The research was conducted into two parts. Part 1: Qualitative research was conducted by descriptive research methodology, which was documentary research of information or articles on websites within 10 years from 2011 – at present (2021) and in-depth interview with three groups of experts in digital marketing: 1) marketers working on digital marketing using online influencers for no less than five years, 2) online-influencer platform administrators or managers with no less than 3-year experience, and 3) successful online influencers being awarded at the national level. Part 2: Quantitative research was conducted by the survey research method with 365 Gen-Y consumers, born between 1981-2000, who were exposed to online-influencer information and might or might not have bought products or services after viewing online-influencer advertisements. The collected data were applied for data analysis for developing a structural equation model (SEM).

The findings showed that the development of online-influencer advertising from the past to the present can be divided into 6 periods. Period 1 was Before the Emergence of Online Influencers (approximately before 2012), Period 2 Organic Online Influencers (approximately 2013-2014), Period 3 Power of Online Influencer Turn to Marketing (approximately 2014-2015), Period 4 Widely Emerging Micro- and Nano Influencers (approximately 2016-2017), Period 5 Booming Influencer Marketing (approximately 2018-2019), and Period 6 Transparent Influencer Economy (approximately 2020-2021). On the other hand, the experts classified online influencers by 2 main methods, namely by the number of followers and types of influencers’ expertise. For the analysis of the structural equation model, it is found that the model of success factors affecting consumers’ purchase intention by video advertising via online influencers, developed by the researcher, is congruent with the empirical data since 10 indices or more than 3 indices pass the determined criteria, as follows: Chi-square/df = 1.244 (< 5.00), p-value = 0.056 (> 0.05), GFI = .970 (> .90), AGFI = .995 (> 0.90), CFI = .995 (> 0.90), NFI = .978 (> 0.90), IFI = .996 (> 0.90), RFI = .955 (> 0.90), RMR = .021 (< 0.05), and RMSEA = .026 (< .05) at a statistical significance level of 0.001. From analyzing the effect or causal relationship and path coefficients, it is found that Online Influencer Credibility has a positive direct effect on Attitude towards Advertising and Attitude towards Brand with the path coefficients = 0.964 and 0.762 respectively, Attitude towards Advertising has a positive direct effect on Purchase Intention with the path coefficients = 0.452 and Attitude towards Brand has a positive direct effect on Purchase Intention with the path coefficients = 0.413. The findings of all positive effects can explain the value of Purchase Intention from Squared Multiple Correlations (= 649).