The Mediating Role of Parasocial Interaction in Influencer Marketing’s Effect on Gen Z Consumer Loyalty on TikTok Shop
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56750/cesjv9i3.1886Keywords:
Consumer Loyalty, Generation Z, Influencer Marketing, Parasocial Interaction, TikTok ShopAbstract
The rapid growth of TikTok Shop as a social commerce platform has encouraged companies to utilize influencer marketing strategies to enhance consumer loyalty, particularly among Generation Z. This study aims to examine the effect of influencer marketing on consumer loyalty and to investigate the mediating role of parasocial interaction among Generation Z users of TikTok Shop. A quantitative approach was employed using purposive sampling, involving 53 respondents who met the research criteria. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The findings indicate that influencer marketing has a positive and significant effect on both consumer loyalty and parasocial interaction. However, parasocial interaction does not have a significant effect on consumer loyalty. Furthermore, the mediation analysis reveals that parasocial interaction is unable to mediate the relationship between influencer marketing and consumer loyalty. These findings suggest that Generation Z consumers’ loyalty toward TikTok Shop is influenced more by the direct effectiveness of influencer marketing than by the emotional bonds formed with influencers. This study provides practical implications for businesses in designing more effective digital marketing strategies to enhance consumer loyalty on social commerce platforms.
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