{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,9]],"date-time":"2026-04-09T00:51:28Z","timestamp":1775695888822,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":64,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,23]],"date-time":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1692748800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sustainability"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Research into the role of digital influencers in marketing strategies is a rapidly developing area that has attracted the interest of researchers and organizations. In recent years, organizations have become increasingly interested in using digital influencers to promote their brands and disseminate advertising messages with a high impact on their target audience. Digital influencers are beginning to be used as models for sustainable consumption behavior (for example in the fashion, food, and health sectors) by promoting environmental and sustainable values. By promoting sustainable content and disseminating messages of environmental awareness, digital influencers can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to identify the attributes (attitude homophily, physical attractiveness, and social attractiveness) and perceived characterizations (trustworthiness, perceived expertise, and parasocial relationship) of digital influencers and their impact on purchase intention among a sample of Portuguese consumers. It also aims to identify the most relevant types of digital influencers according to their areas of influence (fashion, sports, beauty, and cinema\/TV\/music) and their impact on purchase intention. For data collection, an online questionnaire was developed and administered to a non-probabilistic convenience sample. Only respondents who had experience purchasing a product or service after watching a YouTuber\u2019s advertisement (screening question) or following or searching for a digital influencer could complete the questionnaire. A total of 243 valid questionnaires were received. The main findings are that the attributes and perceived characterizations of digital influencers have a positive and significant impact on purchase intention. It was also found that digital influencers can enhance shopping experience and credibility, which has a strong impact on consumers\u2019 purchase intentions. In terms of sector, the data show that the most important influencer in the \u2018Fashion\u2019 sector is Helena Coelho, in the \u2018Sports\u2019 sector is Cristiano Ronaldo, in the \u2018Beauty\u2019 sector is Sara Sampaio, and in the \u2018Music, TV, Cinema\u2019 sector is Ricardo Ara\u00fajo Pereira. This study can help companies use digital influencers more effectively in their digital marketing strategies, as credibility, experience, and parasocial relationships have a strong impact on consumers\u2019 purchase intention.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/su151712750","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,23]],"date-time":"2023-08-23T07:25:24Z","timestamp":1692775524000},"page":"12750","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":31,"title":["Digital Influencers\u2019 Attributes and Perceived Characterizations and Their Impact on Purchase Intentions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6238-181X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel Joaquim de Sousa","family":"Pereira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2545-0617","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Business and Communication Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, 4294-004 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9249-6864","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Canavarro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IPAM Lab, IPAM\/Europeia University, Rua Manuel Pinto de Azevedo, 748, 4100-320 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jorge","family":"Figueiredo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Law, Economic and Environmental Studies (CEJEA), Lusiada University, 4369-006 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5710-5557","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge Esparteiro","family":"Garcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ADiT-LAB, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial Nun\u2019\u00c1lvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1016\/j.intmar.2021.05.002","article-title":"More Trust in Fewer Followers: Diverging Effects of Popularity Metrics and Green Orientation Social Media Influencers","volume":"56","author":"Pittman","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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