Open Access

A Conceptual Framework for Examining Influencer Marketing Effects on Customer Loyalty and Repurchase Intention

4 Department of Social Sciences, Sri Lankan Institute for Community Development, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Influencer marketing has developed from a promotional communication technique into a strategically significant mechanism through which brands construct consumer trust, engagement, identification, and long-term relationships. While existing research has extensively examined influencer credibility, authenticity, parasocial interaction, and purchase intention, comparatively less conceptual attention has been given to how these mechanisms collectively contribute to customer loyalty and repurchase intention. This article develops a conceptual framework linking influencer marketing characteristics with consumer trust, perceived authenticity, influencer–brand fit, parasocial relationships, customer loyalty, and repurchase intention. The framework is developed through a structured synthesis of the provided literature, integrating relationship-based perspectives on loyalty with research on influencer-mediated consumer responses. The analysis proposes that influencer characteristics and communication quality influence loyalty primarily through relational and psychological mechanisms rather than through direct promotional exposure alone. The framework further positions customer loyalty as an important pathway through which influencer marketing can translate short-term purchase responses into sustained repurchase behavior. The article contributes a theoretically integrated perspective for understanding influencer marketing as a relationship-building mechanism and provides a foundation for future empirical testing using structural equation modeling.

Keywords

References

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