Abstract

This research examines how celebrity endorsements influence consumer purchase intentions, focusing on physical attractiveness, source credibility, and the alignment between  celebrity and brand, with brand trust as a mediating factor. Data was gathered from 200 participants through a structured questionnaire. To evaluate reliability and strength of relationship among variables, Regression Analysis and Cronbach’s Alpha were performed using SPSS software. The finding shows celebrity endorsements have significant and positive impact on consumer attitudes and purchasing behavior. Furthermore, results confirm that brand trust serves as a key mediator, strengthening the connection between celebrity endorsement and purchase intention. These insights validate the proposed hypotheses and emphasize the need for brands to strategically select endorsers who align well with their image. Future studies could expand by examining broader range of consumer groups and exploring broader influence of media and celebrity culture on consumer behavior.

Keywords

Influencer Marketing, Brand Trust, Endorser Creditability, Purchase Intension

Introduction

In today's dynamic world of marketing, advertisements are everywhere, making it increasingly difficult for brands to stand out. Marketers face the challenge of creating advertising campaigns that grab consumer attention.  In this fast digital era, people often overlook commercials while browsing magazines, newspapers, or watching television. However, the presence of a celebrity in advertisements tends to capture attention. Using celebrities in advertising campaigns is an old observable fact. Celebrities have been used to recommend manufacturers or else merchandise for more than five decades. Human beings with greater drawn to advertisements wherein there with celebrities than the ones that use no celebrity. Celebrity endorsements have become a crucial marketing strategy, as celebrities hold strong public recognition and possess unique attributes such as attractiveness, talent, or an extraordinary lifestyle. These qualities make them distinct from the general public and increase their appeal. Notable examples include actors like Shahrukh Khan, models such as Hania Amir and Mahira, and athletes like Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi.  Brands strategically hire celebrities to feature in their advertisements, aligning the celebrity image with the product to influence consumer choices. While the concept appears simple, designing a successful campaign requires a deep understanding of the brand's objectives, the selection of a suitable celebrity, and a framework to measure effectiveness. As one expert puts it: finding the right celebrity who perfectly aligns with the brand's image, at the appropriate time, with the correct purpose and approach, is a far more challenging task.  With intense market competition, gaining consumer mindshare is more difficult than ever. Celebrity endorsements provide companies with an advantage by increasing brand acceptance and giving products the momentum needed to stand out. When selecting a celebrity endorser, companies must carefully evaluate whether the celebrity image aligns with the brand's promotional objectives. The partnership benefits both the celebrity and the brand, making the selection process a critical decision. 
Among the key attributes of an effective celebrity endorser, trustworthiness is the most crucial. Consumers should believe that the celebrity genuinely represents the brand and its values. Another important factor is likeability, the celebrity must be widely recognized and admired by a large audience. Celebrity endorsements hold significant influence because they enhance brand recall and consumer engagement. Celebrity-backed advertisements improve consumer awareness, increase attention, and make campaigns more memorable. Furthermore, when a well-known personality supports a brand, it signals credibility, product quality, and strong customer service, reinforcing consumer trust.. Simplest in the U.S., the star's usage within commercials and classified ads has multiplied from 10 to 20.5 % over the past ten years. Ten percent of marketing fees are going handiest toward celebrity endorsers. Twenty percent of advertisements in the United Kingdom use celebrities (Silvera & Austad, 2004). The primary objective of this research is to investigate the direct relationship between celebrity endorsements and consumers' purchase intentions, and further, to explore the mediating role of brand trust within this relationship. Additionally, the research seeks to identify which dimensions of celebrity endorsement including attractiveness, credibility, and celebrity brand congruence exert the strongest influence on both brand trust and consumer purchasing behavior. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of how celebrity-driven advertisements influence consumer decision-making, particularly through the lens of brand trust as a mediating factor. Pakistan is considered to be a developing country so not much research on these dimensions of Celebrity endorsement and how it influences the buying intentions of the customers is being done. So this research will be an add-on to the limited research that has been carried out before in Pakistan.

Literature Review

Melissa St James, emphasizes celebrity endorsements significantly enhance consumer awareness of advertisements, making them more noticeable and memorable. Several studies support the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements in marketing. Friedman explains that the celebrity is a character widely recognized due to achievements outside the product category they endorse. Compared to other types of endorsers, celebrities attract greater attention, improve recall, and foster consumer loyalty. Gan (2006) conducted a study on Chinese consumer preferences regarding advertisements featuring celebrities versus non-celebrities. The findings reveal that Chinese consumers favor celebrity endorsements, particularly when the celebrities have strong professional skills. Additional factors influencing preference include physical appearance, personality, and career achievements (Khan & Javed, 2023). Celebrities with 'The Names' that do not need further Introduction. Where on earth do they go, with renowned, and also, acknowledged with excitement? What they carry out has a media hype value. They with the objects for the means of communiqué and delight. And, a film person remains alive in people's minds even if he/she isn't an almanners' that's what properly a movie superstar (Lee, 2016). Hunter and Davidsson (2008) explored the impact of negative publicity on celebrity-backed ventures. Their study found that negative information about a celebrity can negatively affect consumer attitudes toward the associated brand or business. However, new ventures can mitigate damage by distancing themselves from the celebrity. Despite this, if the celebrity is deeply connected to the business, reputation damage may still occur. Uddin (2024) suggests that celebrity endorsers play a dominant role in advertising because they help capture attention in an otherwise cluttered media environment. Clara (2023) supports this view, noting that celebrities are often perceived as attractive, engaging, and influential, making them effective figures in promotional campaigns. Saleem (2007) Her findings emphasized that while celebrity endorsements can be highly effective, they require strategic alignment poor matches between the endorser and the product can damage brand image. Khatri (2006) describes celebrity endorsement as a strategic promotional tool designed to attract consumers and distinguish a brand in a competitive market. He notes that despite the high costs associated with hiring celebrities, marketers view this approach as an essential investment to maximize visibility and profitability. Freeman (2015) analyzed negative publicity on celebrity endorsements across cultural contexts in the U.S. and Japan. Surprisingly, their findings revealed that self-inflicted negative publicity (such as personal mistakes) could, in some cases, positively affect consumer perception of the endorsed brand. This challenges the commonly held belief that all negative publicity is damaging. Dzisah and Ocloo (2013) trace the use of celebrity endorsements back to the 19th century, noting that such promotions have long been a part of marketing strategies. Much of the academic focus has been on the credibility and attractiveness of celebrity spokespersons and how their perceived traits influence consumer responses. 

Escalas and Bettman explored how celebrity endorsements influence self-brand connections. Their research indicates that consumers develop stronger brand relations with celebrities endorsing the product. However, when the celebrity's image does not align with consumer aspirations, it weakens the brand connection. The effect is more pronounced when the brand itself has a strong symbolic identity (Zhou & Patel, 2024). When consumers experience self-esteem threats, they are more likely to embrace positive celebrity-endorsed brands or reject negatively perceived endorsements. Mukherjee (2009) investigated the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements on consumer behavior and brand preference. He proposed a 20-point model that provides a blueprint for selecting celebrities strategically and maximizing their endorsement value through 360-degree brand communication. Mukherjee argues that celebrity endorsements can be highly beneficial if the right celebrity is chosen. However, if there is a difference it can create a negative perception of both the brand and the company. Celebrities with 'The Names' that do not need further Introduction. Where on earth do they go,  with renowned, and also, acknowledged with excitement? What they carry out has a media hype value. They with the objects for the means of communiqué and delight. And, a film person remains alive in people's minds even if he/she isn't an almanners' that's what properly a movie superstar (Chaudhary & Asthana, 2015). Associating such individuals with brands can shift public perception and influence consumer buying behavior. Liu & Zheng (2024) add that celebrity-endorsed advertisements are more likely to stand out. Gülnil (2014) defines a celebrity endorser as someone with public recognition who promotes a product by appearing with it in media. while Homer (2007) examined the interplay between brand image and perceived quality. Her study revealed that brand image plays a greater role in shaping emotional attitudes, while quality is more influential in utilitarian product evaluations. Homer (2007) examined how consumers perceive brand meaning based on personal experiences, emotions, and social influences. Her research highlights the interplay between brand image and quality perceptions. The study found that: Brand image has a stronger influence on emotional brand attitudes, while quality dominates utilitarian brand perceptions. When a brand has a low image or quality perception, nonattribute beliefs (e.g., reputation, brand storytelling) play a stronger role in consumer decision-making. Attribute-based beliefs (e.g., product features) consistently influence consumer attitudes, regardless of image or quality levels. Mukherjee (2009) provided a comprehensive framework to evaluate celebrity endorsement strategies. His proposed 20-point model offers a blueprint for brand managers to align celebrity image with brand identity. He emphasized that while celebrity endorsements can be powerful, they must be well executed to avoid harming the brand. Similarly, Kasana and Chaudhary (2014) noted the rapid growth of the celebrity endorsement industry in India, which has become a multimillion-dollar sector. They argue that marketers increasingly use celebrities to influence consumer purchase decisions, boost sales, and expand market share.

Research Framework

The following figure illustrates the conceptual framework, with brand trust serving as a mediating variable.

Figure 1



Hypothesis

Drawing from the literature review, the study identifies both independent variables and a mediating variable that are expected to influence consumers' purchase intentions. The independent variable, celebrity endorsement, is examined through its three key dimensions: attractiveness, credibility, and celebrity brand congruence. The mediating variable, brand trust, is anticipated to shape buying behavior. Based on these relationships, the following hypotheses were proposed:
H1: Celebrity endorsement will have a positive impact on customers’ purchase intention toward the advertised brand.
H2: Celebrity endorsement will be positively associated with brand trust.
H3: Brand trust will be positively associated with customers’ purchase intention.


Data Collection and Methodology 
The data for this research was gathered using a structured questionnaire, developed to evaluate key variables such as celebrity attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, and consumer attitudes toward endorsements, purchase intentions, and brand perception. The independent variables included celebrity physical attractiveness, source credibility, and celebrity brand congruence, while consumer purchase intention was the dependent variable. Brand trust was examined as a mediating variable influencing this relationship. The study aimed to explore how celebrity endorsements impact brand trust and, in turn, how brand trust influences consumer buying behavior. The target population comprised students and working professionals in Burewala, and thus the findings are initially generalizable to that region. The study sample consisted of 200 respondents. Data was processed and analyzed using SPSS software. Several statistical tests were performed, including Linear Regression Analysis to assess the influence of the independent variables on purchase intention and brand trust, and Cronbach’s Alpha to determine the reliability of the survey instrument.


Data Analysis
In this research, a total of 200 respondents were selected. The sample was equally divided by gender, 100 male and 100 female participants. Among them, 72 respondents were university students, 65 were employed professionals, and 63 were involved in various business activities. Regarding educational background, 60 respondents were MPhil scholars, 72 were master’s students, and the remaining participants were bachelor’s degree students.

Table 1

Male, Female

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Male	100	50	50	50
	Female	100	50	50	100
	Total	200	100	100

Table 2

Student, Job, Business

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	Student	72	36.0	36.0	36.0
	Job	65	32.5	32.5	68.5
	Business	63	31.5	31.5	100.0
	Total	200	100.0	100.0

Table 3

M Phil, Masters, Bachelors

		Frequency	Percent	Valid Percent	Cumulative Percent
Valid	M Phil	60	30.0	30.0	30.0
	Masters	72	36.0	36.0	66.0
	Bachelors	68	34.0	34.0	100.0
	Total	200	100.0	100.0

The sample profile demonstrates the different groups of the questionnaires and their people take part towards positive outcome to this result. This overview was gathered from 200 applicants in whom the commitment of the female was 50.0 % and male were 50.0 %. when contrasted with different factors like when contrasted with their set of job description was the respondents include were, students, 36% , job 32.5%, business  31.5 % and as indicated by the their sources of info their compensation part lies between MPhil30.0% masters 36.0 %, bachelors 34.0 %.

Missing Value Analysis

Table 4

Univariate Statistics

	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Missing		No. of Extremesa
				Count	Percent	Low	High
CR1	200	2.15	.925	0	.0	0	0
CR2	200	2.29	.899	0	.0	0	3
CR3	200	2.34	.949	0	.0	0	1
CR4	200	2.57	1.005	0	.0	0	3
CR5	200	2.52	.987	0	.0	0	3
CR6	200	2.62	1.016	0	.0	0	8
CR7	200	2.68	1.012	0	.0	0	7
CC1	200	2.55	.986	0	.0	0	8
CC2	200	2.69	.979	0	.0	0	6
CC3	200	2.61	.884	0	.0	0	2
CC4	200	2.56	.981	0	.0	0	5
CC5	200	2.39	1.065	0	.0	0	5
CBM1	200	2.71	1.015	0	.0	0	9
CBM2	200	2.73	1.002	0	.0	0	8
CBM3	200	2.66	1.127	0	.0	0	11
CBM4	200	2.75	1.164	0	.0	0	0
CBM5	200	2.74	1.211	0	.0	0	0
PI1	200	2.89	1.076	0	.0	0	0
PI2	200	2.77	1.106	0	.0	0	0
PI3	200	2.84	1.091	0	.0	0	0
PI4	200	2.71	.917	0	.0	0	4
PI5	200	2.43	.916	0	.0	0	4
PI6	200	2.45	1.111	0	.0	0	8
BT1	200	2.77	.889	0	.0	0	6
BT2	200	2.40	.992	0	.0	0	5
BT3	200	2.58	1.127	0	.0	0	16
BT4	200	2.61	.933	0	.0	0	8
BT5	200	2.60	1.018	0	.0	0	8
BT6	200	2.26	.978	0	.0	0	6
BT7	200	2.48	.902	0	.0	0	1
BT8	200	2.49	.930	0	.0	0	1
BT9	200	2.62	1.050	0	.0	0	6
a. Number of cases outside the range (Q1 - 1.5*IQR, Q3 + 1.5*IQR).

There is no missing value in the data collection.

Data Validity Analysis Report

KMO test performed to know the validity and adequacy of data. The result of KMO is greater than the 0.7 show it was statistically significant and sufficient for factor analysis. The outcomes of this test, summarized in the table below, confirm that the data is appropriate and reliable for further analysis.

Table 5

KMO and Bartlett's Test

Kaiser Meyer Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.		.791
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity	Approx. Chi-Square	211.276
	Df	10
	Sig.	.000

 

 

Reliability Analysis

Beyond establishing validity, the KMO test was also applied to examine the reliability of variables included in the theoretical framework. This test assessed the consistency of the items used in the questionnaire, following the model developed during the literature review. The results, presented in the following table, demonstrate the reliability and internal consistency of the research instrument.

 

 

Table 6

Celebrity Attractiveness

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha	N of Items
.669	7

 

Table 7

Celebrity Credibility

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha	N of Items
.600	5

 

Table 8

Celebrity/Brand Match

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha	N of Items
.600	5

 

Table 9

Brand Trust

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha	N of Items
.600	6

 

Table 10

Purchase Intention

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha	N of Items
.685	9

 

 

The results indicate that all values exceed the established threshold for validity. Specifically, Cronbach’s Alpha of all variables is equal to or larger than 0.6, confirming that data is valid also internally consistent for further analysis.

 

 

Table 11

Hypothesis Testing

Coefficients^a

Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.
		B	Std. Error	Beta
1	(Constant)	1.926	.167		11.549	.000
	Cravg	.308	.066	.313	4.645	.000

 

Table 12

Coefficients^a

Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.
		B	Std. Error	Beta
1	(Constant)	1.891	.166		11.415	.000
	Ccavrg	.309	.063	.329	4.899	.000

 

Table 13

Coefficients^a

Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.
		B	Std. Error	Beta
1	(Constant)	1.863	.148		12.544	.000
	CBMAVRG	.301	.053	.375	5.687	.000

 

 

All of the proposed hypotheses were accepted, as their significance values were smaller than 0.05, which shows statistically significant relationships between the variables. In hypothesis testing, a p-value less than 0.05 confirms the connection between variables is significant, and the results of this study meet that criterion. Additionally, the Beta coefficient represents the standardized regression coefficient, which allows for direct comparison among variables by placing them on the same scale. This standardization provides clearer insight into the relative strength and direction of each predictor’s effect within the model.

 

 

 

 

Table 14

Corelation

		cravg	ccavrg	CBMAVRG	Planrg	BTAVRG
cravg	Pearson Correlation	1	.466**	.414**	.313**	.480**
	Sig. (2-tailed)		.000	.000	.000	.000
	N	200	200	200	200	200
ccavrg	Pearson Correlation	.466**	1	.312**	.329**	.450**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000		.000	.000	.000
	N	200	200	200	200	200
CBMAVRG	Pearson Correlation	.414**	.312**	1	.375**	.317**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.000		.000	.000
	N	200	200	200	200	200
planrg	Pearson Correlation	.313**	.329**	.375**	1	.364**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.000	.000		.000
	N	200	200	200	200	200
BTAVRG	Pearson Correlation	.480**	.450**	.317**	.364**	1
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.000	.000	.000
	N	200	200	200	200	200

 

 

Multicollinearity analysis is used to determine whether any predictor variables are strongly correlated with one another. A Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.7 or higher, along with a significance level (p-value) of 0.05 or lower, typically indicates the presence of multicollinearity and a statistically significant relationship. According to the referenced table, the majority of variables in this study show significant positive correlations. This shows that as the value of one variable increases, the values of the other variables tend to increase as well, indicating a direct and positive relationship among them.

 

 

Mediation Analysis

Table 15

Mediation analysis by taking celebrity attractiveness as independent variable

Model Summary

R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2	p
.3969	.1575	.2595	18.4171	2.0000	197.0000	.0000

 

 

 

Table 16

Coefficients Table

	Coeff	se	t	p	LLCI	ULCI
constant	1.5061	.1972	7.6394	.0000	1.1173	1.8949
BTAVRG	.2925	.0786	3.7224	.0003	.1375	.4474
Cravg	.1772	.0732	2.4187	.0165	.0327	.3216

 

Table 17

Mediation analysis by taking celebrity credibility as independent variable Model Summary

R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2	p
.4082	.1666	.2567	19.6905	2.0000	197.0000	.0000

 

Table 18

Coefficients Table

	coeff	se	t	p	LLCI	ULCI
constant	1.4607	.1978	7.3833	.0000	1.0705	1.8508
BTAVRG	.2855	.0768	3.7184	.0003	.1341	.4370
Ccavrg	.1944	.0685	2.8389	.0050	.0594	.3295

 

Table 19

Mediation analysis by taking celebrity/brand match as independent variable Model Summary

R	R-sq	MSE	F	df1	df2	p
.4552	.2072	.2442	25.7499	2.0000	197.0000	.0000

 

Table 20

Coefficients Table

	coeff	se	t	p	LLCI	ULCI
constant	1.3237	.1948	6.7956	.0000	.9395	1.7078
BTAVRG	.2873	.0705	4.0747	.0001	.1483	.4264
CBMAVRG	.2318	.0538	4.3096	.0000	.1257	.3379

 


The results indicate that brand trust acts as a significant mediating variable in all three scenarios analyzed. This finding tells that brand trust plays important role in the relationship between celebrity endorsement including celebrity attractiveness, credibility, and celebrity brand congruence and the customers purchase opinion. In other words, the influence of celebrity endorsement on customer purchase behavior is enhanced when brand trust is present, highlighting the importance of building and maintaining brand credibility in endorsement strategies.

Conclusion

The practice of celebrity endorsements has grown

significantly in recent years, becoming a persuasive force in modern advertising. Advertising remains one of the most effective ways to influence consumer behavior, and its evolution from traditional to modern forms highlights the growing role of celebrities in promotional strategies. The inclusion of celebrities in advertisements has shown to significantly impact consumer decision making, particularly in stimulating purchase intentions. Marketers increasingly adopt celebrity driven advertising to boost product sales and enhance market share. These endorsements inject energy into competitive markets, making it crucial for businesses to strategically select celebrities that align with their brand image. The empirical findings of this study affirm that celebrity advertising contributes meaningfully to increased sales and brand growth. Furthermore, the results were obtained through reliable and well established methodologies, reinforcing the validity of the study. Another critical finding is the role of brand trust. Celebrities are often perceived as role models or icons, and when consumers view them as credible, attractive, and well matched with a product, they are more likely to develop favorable attitudes toward the brand sometimes even placing less emphasis on the product's actual features.

The results show that trust in a brand plays a significant role in consumer purchase intentions. When consumers trust a brand, the influence of celebrity endorsements becomes even more effective. This explains why well established and reputable brands often benefit more from celebrity endorsements they already enjoy a foundation of consumer trust, which amplifies the impact of celebrity influence. Overall, this study finds that celebrity endorsements are not merely influential but also serve as a direct factor in shaping consumers' purchasing decisions. Each of the key elements significantly contributes to forming consumer perceptions toward the endorsed brand. Additionally, brand trust acts as a strong mediating factor, enhancing the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements in boosting sales and strengthening market presence. However, this study is not without limitations. Although 200 respondents is a reasonable sample size, a more diversified demographic such as, non-working individuals, and retirees may have yielded broader or different insights. Despite these limitations, it also opens avenues for future research. Since the findings point to a strong connection between celebrity endorsements and consumer behavior, future studies may explore the broader impact of media on different consumer segments or examine the comparative effectiveness of different types of celebrity endorsements across industries and platforms.

References