Author: Fabio Biancuzzi
Date: 13-02-2026

The starting point of this research comes from a very simple observation: today, creators are no longer merely channels of visibility, but true mediators of values for brands. They are capable of influencing brand perception, trust, and positioning in the minds of consumers. In this context, choosing the right face for a brand becomes crucial—that is, selecting a creator who can authentically represent the brand’s identity, values, and communication style.

The main objective of this study is to understand how and why collaborations between brands and creators influence brand perception, trust, and purchase intention. More specifically, the research aims to investigate how brand–creator collaborations affect brand perception, which dimensions most strongly influence engagement and purchase intention, how creators contribute to brand positioning, which profiles are perceived as coherent with a brand such as Nike, and how selected Italian creators are positioned in the eyes of consumers in relation to Nike.

Nike was chosen as the case study brand because it represents a company with very strong brand equity, already well known and deeply rooted among younger consumers. This makes it an ideal context for analyzing the dynamics of perceptual transfer between creators and brands.

From a theoretical perspective, this research is situated within the field of influencer marketing, which today represents one of the most strategic levers of contemporary digital communication. Based on trust and on the relationship between creators and their communities, influencer marketing allows brands to connect with audiences in a more authentic way than traditional advertising. Brand positioning is no longer built exclusively by the firm itself, but rather emerges from the interaction between the brand, the creator, and the community. In this scenario, the creator is not merely a communication tool, but a carrier of values: when the message is coherent with the creator’s identity, trust in the brand increases and purchase intention grows.

From a methodological standpoint, the research began with a qualitative phase consisting of six in-depth interviews. These interviews involved young adults aged between 18 and 30, consumers familiar with creators, industry experts, and individuals who had interacted with sponsored content and had knowledge of the brand. This preliminary phase made it possible to structure the subsequent quantitative analysis, which was conducted through an online questionnaire administered via Qualtrics. The survey collected a total of 552 responses over a period of approximately three weeks. The dataset was then cleaned by removing incomplete or inconsistent responses, excluding participants who were unfamiliar with the selected creators, eliminating inactive cases or responses with abnormal completion times, and controlling response variability to avoid straight-lining. The final sample consisted of 182 valid respondents.

Turning to the empirical findings, the results show that the relationship between users and creators is predominantly observational. Most users consume content without actively engaging through likes or comments. However, this does not reduce the influence of creators: more than half of the respondents reported having purchased at least one product recommended by a creator. This indicates that influence is built over time through trust rather than through visible interaction alone.

The sample also appears to be highly familiar with the Nike brand. Almost 90% of respondents had previously purchased Nike products, and over 80% expressed an overall positive opinion of the brand. This confirms the presence of strong brand equity and further supports the suitability of Nike as a context for analyzing brand–creator relationships and perceived collaboration coherence.

To further investigate user perceptions, a factor analysis was conducted, revealing three main dimensions. The first dimension relates to creator authenticity and communication, including credibility, coherence, and trust. The second dimension concerns engagement and purchase intention, while the third relates to perceived transparency and ethics. This last dimension emerges as an important prerequisite for collaboration effectiveness, but not as the primary driver.

A subsequent cluster analysis identified three user profiles: influencer marketing enthusiasts, who are highly receptive and show strong purchase intention; skeptics, who are less influenced by collaborations; and indifferent users, characterized by low involvement. This segmentation confirms that audiences respond very differently to sponsored content.

The linear regression analysis clearly shows that perceived message authenticity is the main driver of purchase intention. Secondary factors include the creator’s ability to help users understand the brand’s identity and the preference for discovering new products through creators rather than through traditional advertising. The discriminant analysis further reinforces this result, highlighting authenticity as the most relevant variable in differentiating user perceptions.

Finally, a linear discriminant analysis was conducted to examine the positioning of the selected creators. The creators were discriminated using five attributes: authenticity, values, credibility, inspiration, and coherence. The first discriminant function is almost entirely represented by authenticity, with inspiration playing a secondary role. The second function is dominated by credibility, followed by coherence in association with the Nike brand. Creators positioned further to the right are perceived as more authentic, while those positioned higher are considered more coherent with Nike in the eyes of the audience.

In light of these findings, it emerges that brand–creator collaborations are effective when the perceived qualities of the creator are coherently transferred to the brand. Authenticity, credibility, and coherence strengthen trust and positive brand perception, whereas forced or inconsistent collaborations generate skepticism. The creator therefore acts as a true positioning lever, contributing to the placement of the brand within a specific perceptual space through narrative style, tone of voice, and expressed values.

From a managerial perspective, brands should prioritize value alignment over mere creator popularity. Agencies should evaluate qualitative aspects such as authenticity and narrative style, while for creators, consistency over time and the relationship with the community emerge as competitive advantages that are more relevant than audience size.

In conclusion, the effectiveness of influencer marketing does not lie in visibility alone, but in the ability to build authentic, coherent, and culturally relevant collaborations. There is no universal creator: value is created through the alignment between brand objectives, creator style, and the target audience.