Influencer Marketing Strategies and Consumer Perceived Quality of Electronics Products in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between influencer marketing strategies and consumer perceived quality of electronics products in Rivers State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study assessed how audience targeting, content authenticity, and influencer professionalism influence consumer perceived quality of electronics products. Anchored on the Social Influence Theory, the study adopted a positivist philosophical paradigm and employed a cross-sectional research design. Primary data were obtained through a structured questionnaire administered via Google Forms to 273 usable respondents drawn from active social media users aged 18–50 who are consumers of electronics products in Rivers State. The formulated hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.1 software. Descriptive statistics were analysed using SPSS version 26. The findings revealed that audience targeting had a negative and statistically non-significant relationship with perceived quality, while content authenticity and influencer professionalism demonstrated positive and statistically significant relationships with perceived quality. The model explained 34.4% of the variance in consumer perceived quality. The study concluded that while audience targeting alone may not significantly influence perceived product quality, authentic content and professional influencer conduct are crucial in shaping consumer quality perceptions. It was recommended that electronics firms prioritize authentic influencer content, partner with credible and technically knowledgeable influencers, and develop data-driven audience targeting strategies to improve consumer perceived quality.