The Role of Pet Owner Influencer on Social Media in Influencing Consumer Engagement, Attitude Toward Ads, and Purchase Intention on Pet Care Products

Abstract

The growth of the pet care industry and the increasing use of pet owner influencers on social media have created new opportunities for marketers to influence consumer behavior. However, research examining the effectiveness of pet owner influencers in the pet care context remains limited. This study aims to analyze the effects of source credibility and content characteristics of pet owner influencers on consumer engagement, attitude toward ads, and purchase intention for pet care products. It also examines the mediating roles of consumer engagement and attitude toward ads. A quantitative approach with a survey method and single cross-sectional design was employed. A total of 388 responses were collected, of which 19 failed the screening process, resulting in 369 valid respondents for analysis. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that source trustworthiness does not significantly influence consumer engagement, creativity does not significantly influence consumer engagement, and source similarity does not significantly influence attitude toward ads. Furthermore, consumer engagement does not mediate the relationships between source trustworthiness and purchase intention and between creativity and purchase intention, while attitude toward ads does not mediate the relationship between source similarity and purchase intention. All other proposed relationships are supported. These findings contribute to the influencer marketing literature and provide practical insights for pet care marketers in developing more effective social media marketing strategies.