Purpose: This o bjective o f this s tudy is to e xa mine t he effects of influencer characteristics on content attitude and purchase intention targeting the MZ generation in China. In addition, this study investigates the mediating effect of emotional immersion and psychological attachment on the relationship between influencer characteristics, content attitude, and purchase intention. This study aims to suggest a direction for promoting Chinese social media and influencer marketing. Research design, data, and methodology: In order to achieve the purpose of the study, an online survey was conducted on the Chinese MZ generation, and 288 valid samples were finally analyzed, Descriptive statistics frequency analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis were performed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical package program, and regression analysis and mediating effect analysis were performed to verify the hypothesis. Results: First of all, the professionalism, attractiveness and reliability of influencers have a significant impact on content attitudes and purchase intentions; Second, influencer’s professionalism, attractiveness, and reliability all have a significant effect on emotional commitment and psychological attachment. Third, both emotional commitment and psychological attachment have a significant effect on content attitude, purchase intention. Fourth, the mediating effects of emotional immersion and psychological attachment between influencer characteristics, content attitudes, and purchase intentions were verified. Implications: If Influencers strengthen their professionalism, attractive, reliability and making MZ generation emotional immersion, psychological attachment on them, they can effectively promote the content attitude and purchase intention of subscribers.
Fang et al. (2022) studied this question.