The Influence of Live Streaming, Influencer Credibility, and Social Evidence on Impulsive Buying through Customer Trust as a Mediating Variable (A Study on Social Commerce of Erigo in Semarang City)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of live streaming, influencer credibility, and social proof on impulsive buying, with customer trust serving as a mediating variable. The growing trend of impulsive purchases on social commerce platforms such as TikTok forms the foundation of this research, particularly focusing on Erigo , a local fashion brand experiencing fluctuating sales despite the implementation of active digital marketing strategies. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey method, with 100 respondents selected through purposive sampling. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling - Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with the aid of SmartPLS 4 software. The findings reveal that both live streaming and influencer credibility have a positive and significant impact on impulsive buying, while social proof does not directly influence impulsive buying. However, all three variables—live streaming, influencer credibility, and social proof—were found to have indirect effects on impulsive buying through the mediating role of customer trust. These results suggest that fostering consumer trust through real-time interaction, credible influencers, and social validation is a critical strategy for stimulating spontaneous buying behavior in digital environments. This study contributes theoretically to the development of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model in the context of social commerce and provides practical insights for marketers in designing trust-based and engagement-driven marketing strategies. The results demonstrate that customer trust plays a central role in bridging external digital stimuli with consumers' impulsive purchasing decisions. Thus, strengthening customer trust through credible and interactive social media content is essential for gaining competitive advantage in today's digital fashion market.