The Role of User-Generated Content Credibility in Enhancing Digital Emotional Engagement with Brand Identity: A Statistical Analysis of Consumer Behaviour in E-Commerce

Abstract

The growing role of user-generated content (UGC) in digital marketplaces has raised critical questions about how perceptions of credibility consumer emotions and behavior. This study examines how UGC credibility dimensions influence digital emotional engagement and subsequent consumer behavior in e-commerce settings. A mixed-method design integrating PLS-SEM, fsQCA, and netnography was applied to data collected from 437 active e-commerce consumers. Review neutrality (β = 0.318) and content accuracy (β = 0.284) were the strongest predictors of emotional engagement, while trust in content (β = 0.342) and sense of familiarity (β = 0.276) most effectively converted engagement into behavioral outcomes in the real world. Mediation analysis confirmed that emotional engagement fully mediates the experience depth–behavior pathway (66.7%) and partially mediates most other credibility–behavior paths. Three equifinal configurations for high engagement emerged: comprehensive Trustworthiness (48.2%), emotional authenticity (31.5%), and peer consensus (19.8%). Multi-group analysis proved material differences in consumer responsiveness to demographics. Qualitative netnography findings corroborated these results. Reviews acknowledging minor product flaws demonstrated 23% greater perceived credibility than uniformly positive reviews. These findings advocate a strategic shift from content volume to credibility engineering—designing transparent, experience-rich, and authentic UGC ecosystems that foster long-term emotional commitment and drive consumer action in the digital economy.