• Mrs Nathiya T
• Dr J Ashokkumar
• Mr Balaji B

Authenticity is one of the most popular but at the same time least clearly defined concepts in social media marketing. This lack of definition is especially evident in regard to Generation Z, who can be defined as consumers lacking in authenticity of any kind, and being too sensitive to the inauthentic forms of communication. Rather than seeing authenticity as a property of brands and content creators, this article suggests looking at authenticity as a market signal that is produced on purpose and interpreted and processed within the social media marketing context. The article creates a theoretical framework that describes the process of generating authenticity signals by Generation Z consumers utilizing signaling theory, source credibility research, and studies of algorithmic mediation. According to this framework, the authenticity responses depend on the interpretation of the signal in terms of its costs, consistency, and correspondence with the existing values on a cultural and platform level. The article also explores how algorithmic processes on social media platforms and brand-creator partnerships shape the distribution and credibility of authenticity signals, often obscuring the distinction between authentic self-expression and performance. The significance of this paper is that it makes a contribution to the field of digital marketing and consumer studies by conceptualizing authenticity as a contextual and negotiated construct, as opposed to a pre-existing property. This paper can also be considered as a conceptual base for future empirical studies on social media marketing targeting Gen Z.

Authenticity, Social Media Marketing, Generation Z (Gen Z), Signaling Theory and Authenticity Cues.

"Authenticity as a Market Signal: A Theoretical Examination of Gen Z’s Responses to Social Media Marketing", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 10, page no.a332-a347, October-2026, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2610037.pdf

"Authenticity as a Market Signal: A Theoretical Examination of Gen Z’s Responses to Social Media Marketing", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.13, Issue 10, page no. ppa332-a347, October-2026, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2610037.pdf