Research on the Impact Mechanism of Short-Video Platform KOL Marketing on the Purchase Intention of Generation Z Consumers

Abstract

By reshaping how brands connect with young consumers, short-video platforms have turned key opinion leader (KOL) marketing into a primary tool for translating content exposure into purchase behaviour. With Generation Z as the focal population, we examine how KOL marketing directly affects purchase intention, how consumer trust serves as a mediator and how the effects differ by consumer gender and product type. Using questionnaire data collected from active short-video users, three multiple linear regression models are estimated to test the main effect, the mediation path and the boundary conditions. The findings indicate that KOL marketing exerts a significant positive effect on the purchase intention of Generation Z consumers and that consumer trust partially mediates this link. There is heterogeneity in the effect: it is stronger among female consumers and for experiential products. Robustness checks that substitute an alternative dependent variable and restrict the sample to frequent viewers support the stability of the core conclusions. These results deepen the understanding of how influencer content psychologically translates into youth purchase behaviour and give actionable guidance to platform operators and brands.