Hooked on Trust: Mapping the Pathways from Influencer Credibility to Consumer Repeat Purchase Intention

Influencer marketing has changed the way consumers interact with brands, creating a digital culture in which purchasing decisions are increasingly influenced by perceived trust, relatability and the aspirational lifestyles presented by influencers. While previous research has shown that influencer credibility can influence consumer attitudes, its impact on repeated purchase intention remains underexplored. To address this gap, this thesis explores the following central research question: How does influencer credibility influence online repeat purchase intention? What are the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that affect this relationship? Drawing on the Source Credibility Model, Self-Determination Theory, Dual-Process Theory and the Hedonic Treadmill, a conceptual model that integrates both emotional and cognitive dimensions is proposed; this includes two mediators (fear of missing out (FOMO) and persuasion knowledge), as well as three moderators (media literacy, dispositional skepticism, and centrality of materialism). A quantitative survey was conducted obtaining 185 valid participants, data were collected through validated multi-item Likert scale instruments and analyzed using regression, mediation and moderation analyses via SPSS and PROCESS. The results show that influencer credibility is significantly and positively associated with the intention to make repeat purchases online, confirming its role as a powerful predictor of ongoing consumer behavior. While FOMO was related to both credibility and purchase behaviour, it did not significantly mediate the relationship; persuasion knowledge was not a significant mediator, suggesting that critical awareness of persuasive intent may not be enough to counteract emotionally driven consumer patterns. Furthermore, none of the hypothesized moderators significantly altered the main relationship, suggesting that credibility may override individual resistance in digital commerce environments. This study makes theoretical contributions by extending the literature on influencer marketing with a dual-pathway model of repeated purchasing. It has also societal implications, emphasizing the need to better understand how emotional mechanisms and influencer dynamics sustain overconsumption. These findings could inform the development of ethical marketing strategies and policies aimed at encouraging more thoughtful and responsible consumer behavior in the age of social media influence.