TikTok’s Food Reviewer Content Creators: Is It Just For Fame or Money?

Abstract

The rapid growth of TikTok has transformed food reviewers into influential content creators who significantly shape consumer perceptions and purchasing behavior in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. However, recent controversies involving several Indonesian food reviewers have raised concerns regarding the credibility, objectivity, and underlying motivations behind food review content. This study aims to examine the influence of food reviewer credibility on customer trust and purchase decisions, as well as to identify the factors that contribute to the formation of reviewer credibility on TikTok.A quantitative research approach was employed using a survey of 407 TikTok users in Indonesia who had watched food review content and made purchasing decisions based on such reviews. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The study examined the effects of expertise, attractiveness, and reviewer engagement on food reviewer credibility, as well as the subsequent effects of credibility on customer trust and purchase decisions.The findings reveal that expertise, attractiveness, and reviewer engagement significantly influence food reviewer credibility, with reviewer engagement emerging as the strongest predictor. Food reviewer credibility was found to have a significant positive effect on customer trust. However, credibility did not directly influence purchase decisions. Instead, customer trust significantly affected purchase decisions and acted as a mediating mechanism between credibility and consumer behavior. These findings suggest that the influence of TikTok food reviewers is not driven solely by fame, popularity, or financial incentives. Rather, consumer trust serves as the critical factor that transforms reviewer credibility into purchasing behavior. The study provides practical implications for content creators, F&B businesses, and policymakers by emphasizing the importance of ethical communication, transparency, and trust-building within digital food review ecosystems.