Study: 76% of Indonesians shop through creators despite declining trust

More than three-quarters of Indonesian consumers have purchased products via affiliate links shared by creators - yet trust in traditional influencer marketing is falling.

This insight comes from the 2025 edition of eCommerce Influencer Marketing in Southeast Asia, a joint study by impact.com and eCommerce intelligence platform Cube. Based on responses from over 2,400 consumers, creators, and industry experts across Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the study reveals a critical inflection point for the region’s creator economy: audiences are still buying, but they’re increasingly sceptical.

While 76% of Indonesians reported shopping through creator-linked content, only 59% across Southeast Asia say they are influenced by mega influencers with over one million followers - a 7% drop from the previous year. The decline suggests consumers are growing weary of over-polished endorsements and turning instead to smaller-scale creators who feel more authentic.

“As consumer preferences evolve in Southeast Asia, brands must move away from traditional influencer models and vanity metrics towards long-term partnerships that truly influence purchasing behaviour,” said Adam Furness, managing director APAC at impact.com.

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Entertainment still reigns

The report also highlights a shift in the way consumers interact with content. Entertainment still ranks as the primary reason for engaging with influencers, cited by 77% of respondents. But learning is close behind, with 64% seeking educational or instructional content. This reflects what creators are expected to deliver - and what effective influence looks like.

“Entertainment remains the top reason people consume influencer content, but more and more consumers are now seeking to learn something in the process,” the study said. Across Southeast Asia, the majority of consumers (35%) follow just one to 10 influencers - while only 9% follow more than 50, highlighting a selective approach to digital influence.

In Indonesia, Instagram leads social media usage by a wide margin, far surpassing the Southeast Asia average, with YouTube and TikTok trailing behind. Influencer dynamics closely mirror those in Thailand, where celebrity and mega influencers dominate the landscape. Notably, all other influencer tiers in Indonesia also outperform the regional benchmark.

However, micro and nano influencers - who typically have closer, more community-like relationships with their followers - are weathering the drop in trust better than their larger counterparts. This has narrowed the gap between influencer tiers, the study concluded.

Among the top six influencers, four are celebrities and two fall into the mega-influencer category - underscoring the enduring power of star-driven influence in the market.

The affiliate boom

Shoppable content has proven highly effective in driving purchases, with 31% of consumers influenced by product links shared by creators and 30% by platform-led promotions - both outperforming brand ads or influencer posts that don’t include direct purchase links.

Affiliate marketing is emerging as a dominant growth engine for influencer commerce. The study finds that 83% of respondents across Southeast Asia have made a purchase through affiliate links, with beauty and fashion products leading the way. On platforms such as TikTok Shop, Shopee, and Lazada, creators now play a vital role in guiding consumer journeys - and they’re incentivised to do so through commissions ranging from 4% to 13%.

Marketplaces are also the top discovery channels: 34% of consumers say they found products on platforms such as TikTok Shop or Shopee, slightly ahead of brand websites (32%) and influencer channels (31%).

“Our research with Cube reinforces that performance-based marketing is central to brand success in reaching and influencing consumers,” said Furness. “Strategies such as investing in affiliate models have now become the foundation for sustainable and scalable growth - a trend increasingly evident across the region.”

The Key Opinion Seller (KOS) - a hybrid between influencer and salesperson - is an emerging force in this ecosystem, the study highlighted. Particularly prominent on TikTok Shop, these creators blend content, community, and commerce in real time. In Thailand, nine of the top 10 TikTok creators now fall into this category.

For brands, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity: audiences want creators who sell, but not those who oversell. The distinction lies in trust, tone, and relevance. “This year’s research also reinforces the importance of building authentic connections with creators to drive measurable impact,” Furness added.

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