Date of Award
3-22-2026
Thesis Type
Masters
Document Type
Dissertation
Divisions
Faculty of Business and Economics
Department
Department of Management and Marketing
Institution
Universiti Malaya
Abstract
To examine how consumers’ motive inferences relate to perceived influencer authenticity in cultural advertising, and how perceived authenticity relates to attitudes toward the advertisement, the brand, and the influencer. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional online survey (N=395) of Malaysian Chinese YouTube users who viewed one of two Malaysian CNY music-video advertisements was analysed using PLS-SEM. Research findings: Affective motive inferences are positively associated with perceived influencer authenticity, while calculative motive inferences are negatively associated with it. Perceived influencer authenticity is positively associated with attitudes toward the advertisement, the brand, and the influencer. Theoretical contribution/originality: The study draws on Attribution Theory and the Multiple Inference Model to frame influencer authenticity as an attributional judgement shaped by motive inferences in cultural advertising. Practitioner/policy implications: Marketers should prioritise influencers with strong parasocial bonds and ensure authentic cultural portrayals to enhance authenticity. Research limitation: Findings are context-specific to Malaysian Chinese culture and the selected advertisement stimuli, limiting generalisability.
Additional Information
Dissertation (M.A.) – Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, 2026.
Recommended Citation
Shew Yin, Alice Voong, "Cultural sparks and consumer hearts: How authentic motives drive influencer impact in Malaysian Chinese New Year advertisements" (2026). Student Works (2020-2029). 1902.
https://knova.um.edu.my/student_works_2020s/1902
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
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