Conceptualizing and measuring strategic authenticity? A reflective-formative second-order model

Despite the importance of influencer authenticity and the numerous scales created to measure perceived authenticity, limited research has focused on strategic authenticity—the deliberate strategies employed by media producers to project authenticity. In response, this paper develops a comprehensive scale for evaluating strategic authenticity. The study combines both formative and reflective models, using a hierarchical latent variable framework within Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). First, a clear distinction between perceived authenticity and strategic authenticity is established. Following this, a reflective-formative second-order model is proposed to represent strategic authenticity at different levels of abstraction. Through a series of studies, we generate items, establish and confirm the dimensional structure of strategic authenticity, and validate the scale. This rigorous process results in a set of 25 items that measure five dimensions of strategic authenticity: transparency, consistency, ordinariness, truthful endorsement, and naturalness.