Can influencers influence Gen Z without speaking?

Abstract

This master thesis investigates whether social media influencers can persuade Generation Z consumers without speaking, examining the persuasive potential of silent, nonverbal short-form video in a TikTok- style experimental setting. A critical gap persists in the influencer marketing literature: no unified framework explains how nonverbal cues, namely emojis, gestures, and content aesthetics, jointly operate as a mechanism of silent persuasion. To address this gap, a between-subjects experiment was conducted with 150 participants recruited via social media, of whom 99.3% identified as Generation Z (born 1995–2010). Participants were randomly assigned to one of four video conditions: a silent control video, the same video enhanced with on- screen emojis, visible gestures, or professional content aesthetics. Perceptions of authenticity, credibility, and purchase intention were measured using validated Likert and semantic differential scales. Data were analyzed using JASP (version 0.19), employing Cronbach's alpha, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, one-way ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression. The three direct effect hypotheses predicting that emojis, gestures, and professional aesthetics would generate higher perceived authenticity than the control condition were not supported. Only the emoji manipulation was successfully perceived as distinct by participants, limiting the interpretability of the null findings for gestures and aesthetics. In contrast, the relational hypotheses were strongly confirmed. Perceived authenticity and credibility were strongly correlated, and credibility strongly predicted purchase intention. Together, authenticity and credibility explained 57.5% of the variance in purchase intention. Credibility partially mediates the authenticity–purchase intention relationship: when credibility was controlled, authenticity's direct effect decreased while remaining statistically significant. These findings extend Ohanian's (1990) source credibility model into the context of silent short-form video content. For practitioners, brands should prioritize long-term credibility building over isolated visual enhancements, and emojis represent the most cost-effective nonverbal tool for reaching Generation Z.