Influencer marketing in China: The roles of parasocial identification, consumer engagement, and inferences of manipulative intent

Considering trends in influencer marketing, this research explores the mechanism by which Chinese consumers develop responses to branded content on social media, especially the key psychological factors that may positively or negatively affect that process. To substantiate the proposed conceptual frameworks, we used data from a nationwide online survey (N = 511) conducted in China. The results revealed that consumers' parasocial identification with social media influencers contributed to their engagement with, trust in, and attitude toward branded content associated with the influencers. Their engagement with branded content also mediated the relationships between parasocial identification and trust in as well as attitude toward such content. Beyond that, inferences of manipulative intent played a significant role in moderating those indirect effects. The findings are interpreted in terms of theoretical and managerial implications.