The mediating role of brand attitude in the relationship between influencers marketing on social media and purchase intention in Saudi Arabia

Background and Purpose: Social media marketing has become a crucial strategy for restaurants seeking to attract and retain customers in a competitive environment. Among the various digital marketing tools, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful approach for shaping consumer attitudes and driving purchase behaviour. However, despite its widespread adoption, there is limited empirical understanding of how influencer characteristics affect consumer responses in the restaurant context. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework, this study aims to examine how influencer trustworthiness, expertise, and homophily influence consumers’ brand attitude and purchase intention in Saudi Arabia’s casual dining sector. It further explores the mediating role of brand attitude in these relationships. Methodology: Data were collected through an online survey targeting active social media followers of casual dining restaurants in Saudi Arabia. A total of 343 valid responses were obtained using purposive sampling. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping to test direct and mediating relationships among the study variables. Findings: Results reveal that influencer trustworthiness and expertise significantly enhance brand attitude and purchase intention, while homophily does not have a significant direct effect on purchase intention. Brand attitude positively influences purchase intention and mediates the effects of all three influencer attributes on purchase intention. Contributions: This study contributes to Stimuli-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework by clarifying how specific influencer traits shape consumer decision-making in restaurant contexts. Practically, it offers guidance for restaurant marketers in selecting influencers and fostering favourable brand attitudes to optimize social media marketing outcomes. Keywords: Social media influencers, brand attitude, purchase intention, casual dining restaurants. Cite as: Alnakar, L., & Mohamed Anuar, M. (2026). The mediating role of brand attitude in the relationship between influencers marketing on social media and purchase intention in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 12(1), 37-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol12iss1pp37-59