Exploring the Impact of Source Credibility on Coffee Purchase Intention Through Attitude Toward UGC: A Study on Xiaohongshu

Abstract

This research explores the influence of source characteristics (credibility, expertise, and homophily) of user-generated content (UGC) on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions on the Xiaohongshu, a leading social media and e-commerce platform in China. Data were collected from 384 respondents aged 18-44 who had previously viewed coffee-related user-generated content, employing a purposive sampling approach. The data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach with SmartPLS 4.0. The results demonstrate that consumer attitudes towards UGC are highly influenced by source credibility, expertise, and homophily, leading to favorable purchase intentions. Specifically, source credibility exerted the most significant influence on attitude, succeeded by source expertise and homophily. And the associations between these source characteristics and purchasing intention were mediated by attitudes. The findings suggest that the source characteristics of UGC are critical in influencing consumer behavior, which has significant implications for content creators and social media marketers. Enhancing the trustworthiness, expertise, and homophily of UGC can positively influence consumer attitudes and drive purchase intentions for brands. This study enhances the comprehension of consumer behavior within social media platforms, specifically regarding the coffee sector, and broadens the applicability of the Uses and Gratifications (UGT) and Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theories.