Abstract:

The rapid expansion of social media technologies has introduced the phenomenon of influencer marketing, which is a new form of electronic word of mouth and celebrity endorsement. This research focuses on micro-celebrities, who are perceived as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional celebrities. Findings of previous studies indicate that the persuasiveness of the message depends on variables related to the message, the source, and the receiver. It is evident that the persuasiveness of the message significantly influences consumers’ purchase intention.

Purpose: The main objective of this study was to analyze the influence of micro-celebrities on the purchase intention of millennials in Bahrain in the context of influencer marketing on Instagram.

Approach: An online questionnaire was distributed using convenient sampling on social media platforms. The items included in the questionnaire were based on elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and heuristic-systematic model (HSM) variables.

Finding: The findings of this study align with previous research. The ELM- and HSM- based variables (argument quality, source credibility, social advocacy, and source interactivity) are all positively and significantly associated with purchase intention. Additionally, gender differences have no significant effect on purchase intention and the other variables, except social advocacy. Moreover, sponsorship disclosure has a positive and significant influence on source credibility.

Value: This study merged variables of both the ELM and HSM theoretical models to fit the influencer-marketing context on Instagram and specifically in Bahrain and introduced sponsorship disclosure as a subvariable that influences source credibility.