Abstract With the growing importance of social networks and digitalisation, influencer marketing is becoming a key tool for reaching young consumers in particular, gradually replacing traditional one-way communication channels. Despite the abundance of empirical studies in this area, the problem of fragmentation of knowledge and reliance on isolated constructs or linear models that do not reflect the sequence of the decision-making process persists. Moreover, purchase intention is often studied in the literature only as a unidimensional category. The aim of this article is to comprehensively explain the impact of key determinants of influencer marketing—credibility, perceived influence and engagement—on purchase intention. The primary research focused on young adults as a key segment affected by digitalization and the main consumers of influencer marketing. Based on the principles of the AIDA model, the study deconstructs purchase intention in more detail into three specific phases: (i) interest in the product, (ii) search for more information and (iii) desire for the product. From a methodological perspective, the article fills an existing knowledge gap focused on multistage purchase intentions by using empirical research and an ordinal regression model supplemented by machine learning models and SHAP-based interpretation. This approach allows for a more precise understanding of the transitions between different levels of behavioural intentions while also assessing the predictive relevance of the analysed determinants and the consistency of findings across inferential and predictive approaches.
Čvirik et al. (2026) studied this question.