Assessing the impact of source credibility on fast fashion brand loyalty

Purpose This study assesses the impact of source (influencer’s) credibility on brand trust that leads to loyalty towards a fast fashion brand. Design/methodology/approach The stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework is adopted in this study. A quantitative study was conducted by administering questionnaires to target respondents. A partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS is implemented to analyze 206 collected responses. Findings SEM outcomes statistically support the suggested paths. Findings show that the order of importance of source credibility components in affecting consumer trust in a brand is trustworthiness, expertise, similarity and attractiveness. Additionally, brand loyalty is directly affected by brand trust. Research limitations/implications The current study offers understanding into influencers' credibility and brand trust, which can lead to customer loyalty toward a brand. This study also aids marketing practitioners in keeping track of other attributes in deciding if influencers are a good fit for brands. Future research should explore the potential impacts of source credibility components on recommendation intention to build an effective word-of-mouth strategy. Originality/value This study explains the literature on brand trust and brand loyalty by justifying the S-O-R framework.