Digital Influencers: Shaping Our Brand Choices and Purchase Intentions? A Moderation by Gender Perspective

. This study evaluates the efficacy of digital influencers in brand endorsement through electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM). It probes the influence of perceived influence, brand engagement, and expected brand value on purchase intention and the potential moderation of these by gender roles. The study, analyzing responses from 197 participants via a Structural Equation Model (SEM) with SmartPLS, reveals interesting findings. The perceived influence is found to positively and significantly affect both brand engagement and expected brand value. However, brand engagement did not significantly affect expected brand value. Both brand engagement and expected brand value positively impacted purchase intention. However, perceived influence and gender interactions with brand engagement, perceived influence, and expected brand value do not significantly affect purchase intention. These findings can aid fashion industry companies in strategizing their collaborations with Instagram micro-influencers to enhance brand engagement, expected brand value, and purchase intention.


Introduction
The presence of the internet (especially social media) brings a new colour to the development of the digital world.There are 167 million social media users in Indonesia in 2023.According to dataindonesia.id, the number of social media users is equivalent to 60.4% of Indonesia's total population.Based on this, the active use of social media makes social media indispensable today [1], as well as being an attractive platform for companies to conduct promotional activities [2].
Social media such as Instagram, which is currently developing in this world, is the media most often used by digital influencers as a tool to develop themselves and their business, because on Instagram, digital influencers can interact directly with their followers through likes, shares, and comments.or commonly known as mass selfcommunication [3].Currently, there are two types of celebrities, namely micro-celebrities and "traditional" celebrities.Micro-celebrities are figures that we know through social media and the internet or commonly called digital influencers, while "traditional" celebrities or figures that are usually referred to as celebrities are those who gain popularity through broadcast media, for example through TV shows [4].Digital influencers are increasingly perceived as more powerful and effective than "traditional" celebrities in an online context, as they are seen as more credible and accessible to the masses than "traditional" celebrities [5].It is undeniable, the power of social media now has an important role.The shift in people's preferences from broadcast media to media that is more participatory and the increasing popularity of social media among young people has not only caused "traditional" celebrities to get closer to their fans, but also created "new celebrities" which became known as micro-celebrities [6].In the literature, there are variations in preferences and buying needs between men and women [7,8].In addition, women generally pay more attention to product features such as quality, aesthetics, and functionality, while men are more likely to focus on factors such as price and product performance.Among existing social media marketing activities, big companies are increasingly interested in and also increasingly turning to digital influencers to conduct promotions for their brands, because digital influencers can connect with their intended target audience while maintaining direct communication with their followers [9].Digital influencers are individuals who amass a following on social media through writable and visualizable narratives.The contents of the narrative are about the personal life and lifestyle of users and monetizing their followers by promoting brands for a fee or so-called paid electronic word of mouth (eWOM).[10,11].
This study aims to find out how effective digital influencers are in recommending brands through eWOM by examining whether perceived influence, brand engagement, and brand expected value can influence purchase intention and whether gender roles can moderate consumer preferences to increase purchase intention and build brand loyalty.The aim is to provide a better understanding of the effectiveness of digital influencers as a tool for eWOM, and to prove the power of digital influencers' perceived influence in shaping the perception and behaviour of followers towards brands promoted by digital influencers.

Perceived Influence
Perception of influence is how individuals understand and assess the level of influence that other people or certain groups have on themselves or, situations related to them.They emphasize that perceived influence plays an important role in influencing how individuals interact and perceive their social environment [12]

Brand Expected Value
Brand plays an important role in the development of customer/company relations, which in turn contributes to the business performance of the brand [13].Brand plays and has an important role in the development of customer/company relations, which in turn contributes to the business performance of the brand.[14].However, at the same time, published studies point to increased customer skepticism of brands, fueled by falling trust in brands or brand-related communications.[15], crises can make this condition worse [16,17].Therefore, proficient customer/brand relationship management has never been as important as it is today [18].

Brand Engagement
In measuring brand engagement, there are four indicators, namely the brand recommended by the influencer being followed has acceptable quality standards.Products from brands recommended by influencers that are followed are well processed, brands recommended by influencers that are followed look attractive in the eyes of the audience, and brands recommended by influencers that are respected or get respect from the public.[19].

Purchase Intention
Referring to Bansal & Voyer's research (2000), the measurement of purchase intention, in this case, is divided into three main indicators, namely perceptions often change when receiving information from influencers that people follow, respect the opinions of influencers they follow, and like someone who is close and trusted.and the influencers they follow recommend the products they follow [20].

Research Framework
From the description above, a picture of the framework is formed in Figure 1.

Hypothesis
a) H1 = Followers who feel the perceived influence of digital influencers will form more brand engagement within themselves.b) H2 = Followers who feel a higher perceived influence from digital influencers will form a higher expected brand value than expected.c) H3 = Followers who feel the perceived influence of digital influencers will have a greater intention to buy the recommended brand.d) H4 = Followers who feel the perceived influence of digital influencers will have a greater intention to buy the recommended brand.e) H5 = Brand engagement will positively predict the intention to buy the recommended brand.f) H6 = The involvement of the brand expected value will positively predict the intention to buy the recommended brand.g) H7 = Gender strengthens the influence of purchase intention on perceived influence, brand engagement, and brand expected value.

Methodology
The data collection for this research was carried out using an online form distributed via snowball sampling.It is understood that social media users comprise a diverse group with varied backgrounds.Therefore, this study took several steps to find respondents that fit the criteria of this research.This involved asking filtering questions and analyzing responses.Respondents who gave similar answers and completed the form in less than 2 minutes were eliminated from the data.Respondent answer indicator variables were measured using a Likert scale represented by numbers 1 to 7, ranging from strongly disagree (SD), disagree (D), somewhat disagree (SWD), neutral (N), somewhat agree (SWA), agree (A), and strongly agree (SA).In this study, our population comprises people living in Indonesia.A sample is a part of the total and characteristics possessed by the population [21].Samples are chosen to make the research effective, as conducting research using the population as the research object is considered ineffective due to the large number.The questionnaires collected were a total of 197 respondents.The questionnaires collected were a total of 197 respondents.Then we re-evaluate the incoming data, provided that we see the answer to the first question whether the respondent follows one of the mega influencers engaged in fashion or not.
In this study, sampling was determined using purposive sampling.Purposive sampling is a technique for obtaining data source samples with certain considerations, selecting samples using specific criteria to determine the number of samples to be studied [21].The research sample consists of residents living in Indonesia and following Instagram micro-influencers.
The sample size has an ideal number of 100 or greater than that.As a general rule, the minimum sample size should be at least five times the number of items to be analyzed, and a sample size is more acceptable if it has a ratio of 10:1.In this study there were 14 question items, so the minimum sample size required was 14 x 10 = 140 samples.Thus, the required number of samples from the population is 140 respondents [22].
A sampling technique is a way to determine a sample whose size is in line with the actual sample size to be used as a data source, considering the characteristics and distribution of the population to obtain a representative sample.Sampling techniques are divided into two: probability sampling and non-probability sampling [23].
This study uses a non-probability sampling method.Non-probability sampling is a technique that does not give the same opportunity or chance for every element or population member to be selected as a sample.This technique can be done quickly, but has drawbacks, among others, this technique cannot be used for all types of populations.There are six techniques in non-probability sampling, and this research specifically uses purposive sampling because the questionnaire requires that the respondent must follow at least one mega influencer on Instagram.SEM-PLS is a statistical method that allows for the examination of complex associations among multiple variables in a single model.
In the SEM-PLS analysis, the measurement model used is the outer model.The outer model is an evaluation of a model where each variable is analyzed in detail.This allows for a thorough examination of the relationships between the variables, providing valuable insights into the overall structure of the model.
One of the main reasons for choosing SEM-PLS in this research is its flexibility and suitability for analyzing complex models with multiple variables.Unlike other methods, such as covariance-based SEM, PLS does not have stringent assumptions about the distribution of the data, making it a more appropriate choice for analyzing data that may not follow a normal distribution.
In addition, SEM-PLS is known for its ability to handle smaller sample sizes and has multicollinearity problems, which are common in social science research.This makes the technique a favourable choice for researchers working with limited data or exploring relationships between variables that may be highly correlated.
In summary, the use of SEM-PLS in this study is justified by its ability to handle more complex models, in data distribution, its flexibility, and its ability to both manage small sample sizes and multicollinearity problems.By utilizing the SEM-PLS approach, researchers can obtain a detailed understanding of the relationships between variables, leading to more accurate and insightful conclusions.

Result
To promote their brand among today's social media marketing activities, businesses are increasingly turning to digital influencers.This is due to the fact that digital influencers allow them to communicate directly with their followers and connect with their intended target audience.This research is expected to help companies to be able to make decisions in making strategies, especially in the field of fashion.whether gender differences can have a significant effect if promotions are carried out by influencers in promoting brands.

Respondent characteristics
The research data comes from consumers who follow Instagram micro-influencers in the fashion industry residing in Jabodetabek and outside Jabodetabek.The total number of respondents consists of 171 people, exceeding the target sample of 140 by 31 people (22%).Table 1 is a recapitulation of the respondents' characteristics.

Descriptive statistics
Descriptive statistics provide an overview of the responses from the respondents and can be used to enrich the discussion.By examining the average scores of the respondents' responses, we can gain insights into the condition of each variable indicator being studied.This information helps us better understand the overall trends and patterns within the data and enables us to conclude the relationships between different variables.The results are in Table 2.In evaluating the outer model (Figure 2), the criteria used are validity tests, which consist of convergent validity (Table 3) and discriminant validity (Table 4), as well as reliability tests, referring to the Composite Reliability value.The measurement model on convergent validity is assessed based on the correlation between the estimated item values (loading factor).Furthermore, convergent validity analysis provides information about the indicators most closely related to the research variables.In this research, variable measurement is done reflectively.

BEV PI PIF PI
Based on the results presented in Table 5, it can be seen that the R-Square value for brand engagement is 0.297, which falls into the moderate category.This means that the perceived influence moderately explains (29.7%) brand engagement in the context of digital influencer impact.The R-Square value for the brand expected value is 0.445, also in the moderate category.This means that brand engagement and perceived influence moderately explain (44.5%) brand expected value in the context of digital influencer impact.The R-Square value for purchase intention is 0.480, in the moderate category as well.This means that brand engagement, brand expected value, and perceived influence moderately explain (48%) purchase intention in the context of digital influencer impact.Based on the calculation results, it can be seen that almost all the influences between variables have weak effects, but the perceived influence on brand engagement and perceived influence on brand expected value have strong effects.The results says that the tests that have been done, the influence size (F-Square) of the perceived influence (0.422 -strong) on brand involvement.Brand involvement (0.020 -weak) and perceived influence (0.444 -strong) on the brand's expected value.Brand engagement (0.059 -weak), brand expected value (0.046 -weak), and perceived influence (0.014 -weak) on purchase intention.The results are in Table 6. Figure 3 shows the inner model.Estimating the value of the path relationship in the structural model must be obtained with significant results.The significance value can be obtained through the bootstrap procedure.The significance value of the hypothesis can be determined by referring to the value of the parameter coefficient and the significance value of the t-statistic in the bootstrapping report.To determine significance, the T-table is consulted at an alpha level of 0.05 (5%) = 1.96.The T-table is then compared to the t-value (t-statistic).The results of the statistical estimation are described as follows:

Discussion
The rise of influencer marketing has been a game-changer for the fashion industry.Digital influencers have become a powerful marketing tool for companies.Promotion for their products is now more effective using digital influencers through social media platforms [24][25][26].In this context, the research highlights the importance of micro-influencers, who are bloggers or journalists with a significant number of followers and a close relationship with their audience [27].Their ability to resonate with their followers and influence their behaviour towards purchasing products they promote on social media is significant [28,29].The research emphasizes that the recommendations of opinion leaders or influencers play a crucial role in reducing the perceived risks of buying a new product, especially for first-time buyers [30,31].Digital influencers are seen as a valuable source of information for their followers, not only that, but they are also trustworthy, which is useful for spreading information and increasing the impact of their messages [32][33][34].
Moreover, influencer digital has transformed the way brands interact with their consumers positively.They can connect with their target audience, maintain direct communication with their followers, and influence their purchasing decisions.The results of the research show that brand involvement, perceived influence, and the value expected by the brand are variables that significantly influence consumer purchase intentions.These findings could be useful for companies that aim to create successful marketing campaigns and increase sales through social media platforms.

Conclusion
This study has several limitations.First, the sample size was limited to a specific group of consumers interested in the fashion industry.Therefore, the findings may not be generalizable to other industries.Second, the study focuses only on micro-influencers on Instagram, while other social media platforms and influencer categories may yield different results.Third, the study employs a cross-sectional design that may limit the ability to draw causal conclusions.
As a result, the research we have conducted found that perceived influence (PIF) has a significant positive effect on brand engagement (BE) and brand expected value (BEV) in the context of micro-influencers in the fashion industry.Furthermore, brand engagement and brand expected value both have a positive and significant impact on purchase intention (PI) through micro-influencer endorsements.However, brand engagement does not have a significant effect on brand expected value.Moreover, the study finds that gender interactions with brand engagement, perceived influence, and brand expected value do not significantly affect purchase intention.
The findings of this study have practical implications for fashion industry companies seeking to leverage microinfluencers on Instagram to enhance brand engagement, brand expected value, and purchase intention.This study suggests that companies should prioritize building relationships with micro-influencers who have a perceived influence among their followers.Furthermore, companies should focus on enhancing brand engagement and brand expected value through collaborations with micro-influencers to positively influence purchase intention.However, companies should also be aware that gender interactions do not significantly affect purchase intention.
From the results of the study, it is known that gender does not have a significant influence on perceived influence, brand engagement, brand expected value and purchase intention variables on the influence of digital influencers.For further research, what might be examined are the limitations of the researchers that make these results inconsistent with existing theories, or indeed nowadays gender can be said to be equal in preferences for choosing the fashion they wear.

Table 7 .
Path coefficient estimate and statistical tests results.