The moderating-mediating role of corporate image on the nexus between brand authenticity and purchase intention in the Zimbabwean commercial banking sector

In an era marked by consumer skepticism and dwindling trust within the Zimbabwean banking sector, this study examines the dynamics between brand authenticity, corporate image, and purchase intention. The aim is to investigate how corporate image moderates the relationship between brand authenticity and purchase intentions among bank customers. Grounded in a positivist research paradigm with a deductive approach, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire distributed to 427 bank customers selected via multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were analysed employing Structural Equation Modelling to unravel the underlying relationships among the constructs. The study finds that enhanced brand authenticity significantly boosts corporate image, which, in turn, positively influences purchase intention. Corporate image emerges as a vital moderator within this nexus. It is recommended that banks should entrench authenticity into their branding strategies and actively manage their corporate image, offering actionable pathways to restore consumer trust and gain competitive advantage amid economic turbulence.