Impact of social media influencers on purchase intention with

a mediating effect of brand reputation in the apparel

industry of Pakistan

Name, Roll No: Abdul Qadeer Khusro, 18I-0017 Supervisor: Ms. Sidra Abbas

Aiza Irfan, 18I-0059

Fatima Zulfiqar, 18I-0103

Nayab Nazir, 18I-0193

National University of Compute & Emerging Sciences,

Islamabad, Pakistan

Word Count: 22,327

 Author’s Declaration

We, Abdul Qadeer Khusro, Aiza Irfan, Fatima Zulfiqar and Nayab Nazir, hereby state that, our
BBA thesis titled “The Impact of social media influencers on purchase intention with a mediating
effect of brand reputation in the apparel industry of Pakistan” is a bona fide research produced by
us. With the utmost severity if found guilty, we take full responsibility when we say that this
research is a novelty work which has not been previously submitted by any thesis group at FAST
university, or for that matter, in any other university, national or international. We have curated this
research by using a plethora of online published research articles, in which we have extracted the
literature that backs up our own research, but have taken extra measures to ensure that no idea or
concept whatsoever has been plagiarized. Our University has the professional right to revoke our
degree even after our graduation, if found guilty.

X
Abdul Qadeer Khusro
Researcher

X
Aiza Irfan
Researcher

X
Fatima Zulfiqar
Researcher

X
Nayab Nazir
Researcher II
 Undertaking for Plagiarism

We accept full ownership of work done as part of the BBA thesis titled, “The Impact of social media
influencers on purchase intention with a mediating effect of brand reputation in the apparel industry
of Pakistan”. With all honesty, we proclaim that the work produced in this thesis is done exclusively
by us with the sole guidance and assistance of our esteemed supervisor, Ms. Sidra Abbas who gave
us the strength and determination to compile this research. Additionally, we have not reviewed and
presented any element of this thesis (or substantially identical scholarly research) to any other
degree-granting institution in Pakistan or abroad.

We realize that the National University Computer and Emerging Sciences' - FAST School of
Management has a severe plagiarism policy. As authors of this study, we solemnly vow that no part
of our thesis has been plagiarized, and that any information utilized in the thesis from other sources
is correctly referenced at the end of this paper. Furthermore, the study given in this thesis is original,
and we have positively mentioned similar work by explicitly distinguishing our work from that of
other scholars.

We also accept that if we are found guilty of plagiarism in our thesis work after we have graduated,
the institution has the right to withdraw our BBA degree. Furthermore, the institution will have the
authority to publicly release our name on a website that tracks students who plagiarise in their thesis
work.

X X
Abdul Qadeer Khusro Aiza Irfan
18I-0017 18I-0059

X X
Fatima Zulfiqar Nayab Nazir
18I-0103 18I-0193

III
 Executive Summary

With the rise of influencer marketing over the last two decades, social media influencers have
emerges as a highly effective tool for mass promotion and advertising. It entails brands hiring social
media celebrities to endorse their products or services in an attempt to persuafe those who follow
the ‘influencer’ to buy the brand’s products or services. This approach has proven effective for
numerous brands, ut desired outcomes do not always occur for a variety of reasons. This is because
a variety of factors influence how a social media post is perceived. There are numerous influencers
operating on various social media platforms, ach each of them has created their own distinct image
in the minds of their followers. That image frequently determines the impact of information passed
on through the influencer to the follower. This study looks into the impact of social media
influencers on purchase intent while having brand reputation play a moderating role.

IV
 Acknowledgement

We would like to have a special mention of an individual without whom our research would not
have even passed the initial stages, and that person is Ms. Sidra Abbas, our Final Year Project
supervisor. We would not have been able to complete our research without her guidance and focused
assistance. We are extremely grateful to Ms. Sidra for supervising us on this journey to investigate
the various aspects of our research. Due to her immense support, we were able to stay on track and
focused on finalizing our research on time and this was only possible because of her undivided
attention, constant feedback to all of our questions. Finally, we would like to thank FAST National
University of Computer and Emerging Sciences for the resources and services that were required
for the completion of this research.

V
 Table of Contents
Author’s Declaration II
Undertaking for Plagiarism III
Executive Summary IV
Acknowledgement V
Chapter 1 1
1. Introduction 1
1.1 Background & Purpose of the study 1

1.2 Research Gap 4

1.3 Aims & Objectives 5
1.4 Research questions 5

Chapter 2 6
2. Literature Review 6
2.1 Introduction 6
2.2 Definition of Variables 6
2.2.1 Social media marketing 6
2.2.2 Social media influencer 7
2.2.2.1 Attractiveness 8
2.2.2.2 Credibility 9
2.2.2.3 Product Match up 9
2.2.3 Brand reputation 10
2.2.4 Purchase Intention 11
2.3 Relationship between variables 11
2.3.1 Influencer Attractiveness and Purchase Intention 11
2.3.2 Influencer Credibility and Purchase Intention 12
2.3.3 Influencer Product Match Up and Purchase Intention 13
2.3.4 Influencer’s Attractiveness on Purchase Intention with mediation of BR 14
2.3.5 Influencer’s Credibility on purchase intention with a mediation of BR 16
2.3.6 Influencer’s Product Matchup on Purchase intention with a mediation of BR 20
2.3.7 Brand reputation and Purchase Intention 21
2.4 Theoretical Framework & Hypotheses 23

Chapter 3 25
3. Methodology 25
3.1 Research Approach 25

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 3.2 Research Design 25
3.3 Unit of analysis. 26
3.4 Population 26
3.5 Sample size & Characteristics 26
3.6 Data Collection Procedure 26
3.7 Data Analysis Technique 27
3.8 Instrument Selection 27
3.8.1 Purchase Intention 28
3.8.2 SMI Attractiveness 28
3.8.3 SMI Credibility 29
3.8.4 SMI Product Matchup 29
3.8.5 Brand Reputation 29
3.9 Ethical protocols 29
3.10 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 30

Chapter 4 31
Analysis and Interpretation 31
4.0 Introduction 31
4.1 Frequencies 31
4.1.1 Gender 32
4.1.2 Age 33
4.1.3 Brand 33
4.1.4 Social Media Influencer 34
4.2 Descriptive Statistics 34
4.3 Reliability 35
4.4 One Way Anova 36
4.5 Co-relation 37
4.6 Regression 38
4.7 Mediation Analysis 40
4.8 Results 44
4.9 Summary of Result 46

Discussion 47
Chapter 5 47
5.0 Chapter Introduction 47
5.1 Discussion 47
5.2 Chapter Summary 50

VII
Chapter 6 51
Implications and Limitations 51
6.1 Chapter Introduction 51
6.2 Theoretical Implications 51
6.3 Managerial Implications 52
6.4 Limitations and Future Research 53
6.5 Conclusion 55

References 56
Appendix 1 – Questionnaire 66
Appendix 2 – Plagiarism Report 73

VIII
Chapter 1

1. Introduction

1.1 Background & Purpose of the study

As brands from all around the world started digitizing and shifting to online platforms, the
number of social media users increased. People have increased their usage of social media, and
while the number of users is high, the power of influence is too. Herhausen, Miočević, Morgan,
and Kleijnen, (2020) research tells us how digital marketing is being used all around the world
and how people rely on digital platforms before making a purchase decision. Purchases are
now influenced by social media influencers as the community is growing every day. Brands
are now finding new ways to advertise their brands in a different way to the normal audience
on social channels. Social media itself has created a very powerful tool of influence. The
constant use of the internet has made social media capable enough, that users now post publicly
and get views which gives them an opportunity to build influence. According to the findings
of (Weismueller, Harrigan, Wang, and Soutar, 2020) Influencers are content producers with a
large number of followers. They are persuasive opinion leaders who have a strong influence
on consumer product evaluation and the decision-making process. When a product is
recommended by an influencer, it is perceived as more authentic and credible than when it is
advertised by an advertiser. There is a clear relationship between how much consumers identify
with social media influencers and their attitude towards a brand, their engagement with the
brand, and their likelihood to make a purchase from the brand. This relationship is mediated
by how much the consumer feels that the influencer is like them. Additionally, the consumer's
perception of the endorser's motive moderates the extent to which they respond to self-
influencers.

Someone scrolling through an Instagram feed, sees a picture of a celebrity holding ‘Lays Chips’
and then you scroll down and you see a picture of your friend drinking Starbucks, both are
examples of influencer marketing. The difference between the two is that one is paid ad and
the other one is not paid. This difference between a genuine endorsement and a paid one is
what we call influencer marketing, it is hard to identify the difference which is why people who
fail to recognize get influenced. Woods (2016) talks about how influencers have power over
social media and users.

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Social media influencers have become key opinion leaders (KOLs). They are people who have
a lot of social media followers and are seen as self-made celebrities. Studies suggest that social
media influencers are more trustworthy to consumers than traditional celebrities. This is
because they are seen as more relatable. Social media influencers are, in many ways, the new
go-to when it comes to recommendation, brand image, and brand reputation. The reason is
simple: they're seen as more trustworthy because they have built up their following on their
own. In a world where advertisers have increasingly become less trusted, social media
influencers are the new authorities. A recent study (Greave, 2017) found that consumers believe
that social media influencers are more persuasive than traditional celebrities. This means that
when influencers give their stamp of approval to a product or service, people take notice and
are persuaded by it. Another study found that people trust social media influencers more when
it comes to product recommendations because it seems like a more authentic endorsement
(Escalas and Bettman, 2017). Whereas advertisers can be seen as disingenuous and solely
interested in making money off of you, social media influencers seem to genuinely care about
what they're endorsing. The rise of social media influencers is not only changing the landscape
of marketing and advertising, it's changing the way we think about who is an important opinion
leader.

As day by day, social media is growing, advertising agencies are allotting more energy and
money to social media so that everything is marketed effectively. In today’s world, this
technique is known as Influencer marketing in which the focus is on selective individuals rather
than a whole greater audience. they are used to target the people who are following them as
they have a power of influence over those people who can convert into potential customers.

As influencer marketing has become more common, we need to study more about how it affects
purchasing behavior and brand repute as stated by (Wibisurya, 2018). More research needs to
be performed to explore beyond quantitative advantages and analyze the application of
influencer marketing into a campaign strategy. The existing study is prepared to further
examine this trend of influencer marketing and how it impacts purchase intent with the
mediation of brand reputation in the apparel industry. According to (Hermanda, Sumarwan,
and Tinaprillia, 2019), a rise in self-concept and brand image affected a consumer's purchase
intention.

Influencer marketing is one of the most popular forms of digital advertising. With this type of
endorsement, brands create paid content by recruiting “influencers”—usually celebrities,

2
bloggers, and social media personalities—to endorse their products. The influencers produce
sponsored posts in exchange for monetary compensation. These branded posts are posted on
social media, where they are seen by followers of the influencers and gain visibility with a
larger audience. Despite its popularity, challenges remain when working with influencers. In
particular, brands face issues identifying ideal influencers to partner with and in measuring the
impact of campaigns that include influencers. Some other considerations also come into play,
such as how to leverage the most value from an influencer’s social media following (e.g., reach
vs. engagement) and what types of accounts should be approached for partnerships (e.g.,
personal or business). These challenges could be better addressed if advertisers had an
understanding of what consumers think about influencer marketing and how they perceive
branded content created by advocates (Sánchez and Jiménez, 2021).

Influencer marketing has garnered a lot of attention in the past few years. The practice is really
simple: brands seek out social media influencers, people with large social media followings
that are likely to be interested in their brand and ask them to post about their products or
services in exchange for money. It's a win-win: brands get access to customers they might not
otherwise have, and influencers get paid for something they would have done anyway. While
this practice has been growing at a rapid pace in North America since the late 2010s, there are
still several challenges that remain for companies who choose to pursue it as part of their
marketing strategy. First, it can be challenging for brands to find the right influencers for their
campaigns, as well as figure out what kind of content works best with each influencer. Second,
brands must also ensure that the content posted by influencers actually generates the desired
results. In some cases, they may even find that influencer posts don't generate the kind of sales
they were hoping for. As these challenges persist and more companies embrace influencer
marketing, marketers need to better understand how consumers perceive such endorsements.

Social media influencers have created their requirement and need in the market, brands all
around the world have started using them in order to market the brand. The likes and follows
that are brought by an influencer are way more than sponsored posts or paid marketing. This
trend has become known to marketers from all around the world. The apparel industry has a
high impact on sales from influencer marketing, starting from the product shoot, set design,
aesthetics. The pictures that are posted on the website are tailor made and captured for the client
to attract and acquire a customer’s attention. If a person sees their favorite celebrity or
influencer wearing a dress of an XYZ brand that person would be inclined towards the brand.

3
There are higher chances that the person will make a purchase just for the sole reason that they
saw the influencer wearing that brand. This depicts how important social media influencer is
to the apparel industry. Brands in Pakistan are now using influencer marketing to attract and
engage customers to their product, by far this has proven to be successful (Muhammad &
Ghulam 2019).

The aim of this study is to uncover the connection between influencer marketing and purchase
intention with the mediation of brand reputation in the apparel industry. The study of (Imtiaz,
Kazmi, Amjad, & Aziz, 2019) also demonstrates that brand engagement and consumer
motivation operate as a partial mediator on how social network marketing impacts females'
fashion apparel buy intention. The apparel industry is an enormous industry that is involved in
the production, manufacturing, and sale of clothing items to clients. Clothing companies have
played an important part in society. Fashion is not just clothing but people use it to represent
themselves. Customers look up to their favorite social media influencers for new fashion trends
in the market. According to (Jiménez-Castillo & Sánchez-Fernández, 2019), a social media
platform such as Instagram and Facebook are an excellent tool for reaching out to such a huge
audience all at once and it helps businesses boosts sales and growth by marketing their products
and services.

1.2 Research Gap

Research on social media influencers and their impact on purchase intention has been
extensively researched in the past (Masuda, Han, & Lee, 2022). However, few or no researchers
have studied brand reputation as a mediating factor on purchase intentions with the influence
of social media influencers (Pinto & Paramita, 2021). Moreover, researchers are still trying to
study the impact of social media influencers on consumer behavior related to apparel in
Pakistan (Zafar & Sarwar, 2021). In the past years the role of social media influencers on
purchasing habits and purchase intentions has gathered a lot of attention but limited or no
research has been done with brand reputation as a mediating variable (Amitay, Winoto Tj,
Saparso & Wahyoedi, 2019). Furthermore, the impact on brand reputation resulting from social
media influencers in the apparel business has received even less attention (Abdullah, Deraman,
Zainuddin, Azmi, Abdullah, Anuar, & Hasan, 2020.

4
Moreover, there is no research that has examined these three dimensions of social media
influencers (attractiveness, credibility and product match-up) on brand reputation (Pinto &
Paramita, 2021). Social media influencers do have a lot of power and have become a critical
element in shaping consumers purchase decisions but their impact on a brands reputation is
little to unknown (Szalkiewicz, 2021). Research on how a social media influencer situated in
Pakistan strengths a brand reputation and leads a customer to buy products from the clothing
industry is has not been explored (Iqbal & Khan, 2021). With our research we aim to fill this
gap which has not been studied in the past.

1.3 Aims & Objectives

Following are the objectives of the research:

• To investigate the influence of social media influencers (attractiveness, credibility &

product match-up) on purchase intention.

• To study the mediating role of brand reputation between social media influencers
(attractiveness, credibility and product match-up) and purchase intention

1.4 Research questions

• Does attractiveness, credibility & product match-up have an impact on purchase intention?

• Does brand reputation act as a mediator between social media influencers (attractiveness,
credibility, product match-up) and purchase intention?

5
Chapter 2

2. Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

This chapter comprises the literature review and existing studies done on the variables selected
specific to this research and its relationships with each other. Here, the independent variable is
social media influencer and its four dimensions being, attractiveness, credibility and product
matchup. The dependent variable of this research is purchase intention, with a mediating
variable of brand reputation. This chapter also talks about the proposed hypotheses and
theoretical framework of this research.

2.2 Definition of Variables

2.2.1 Social media marketing

It can be deduced from the several evolving definitions for social media marketing that, first
and foremost, social media marketing makes use of social media platforms as a marketing tool
to create two-way communication, with customers and deliver valuable offers in order to
increase sales attracting consumer attention to a brand, product, or service, and encouraging
consumer engagement. Second, social media marketing facilitates communication, content
marketing, and information sharing (Ebrahim, 2019). Content marketing, which is an important
aspect of social media marketing, focuses on developing and sharing relevant, consistent, and
valuable content in order to attract and retain new customers (Kushwaha, Singh, Varghese and
Singh, 2020).

Many firms now engage in influencer marketing to increase the demand for their products
since they have the power to persuade their followers, increase interaction for the firm, add
value for them, and all in all, increase purchase interest (Lou & Yuan, 2019; Nordstrom &
Pannula, 2020). The most prominent characteristic of social media platforms is
'communication,' which has drastically altered the dynamics of information dissemination.
Companies have recognized the potential and unparalleled growth of social media and have

6
made it one of their most important advertising mediums. They are spending a large percentage
of their advertising budget on social media platforms (Agarwal et al., 2020).

Advertisers are increasingly attempting to customize advertising on social media platforms,

tailoring it to customers. based on knowledge of their tastes and habits gathered through the
collection of personal information (Hayes et al., 2021). Personalized advertising is described
as a message that is customized to individual consumers based on their previous actions and
perceived preferences while maintaining mass message distribution principles. Consumers
receive more relevant information about items or services of interest to them with minimal
effort and often at the precise point of need in exchange for enabling their personal data to be
tracked (Hayes et al., 2021). Social media marketing is advertising done on social media
platforms by sponsoring influencers to create content for businesses and sometimes businesses
promote their own products by posting content they have created themselves.

2.2.2 Social media influencer

Influencers are a type of microcelebrity who document their daily life, from the ordinary to
exciting bits of their field of work. Influencers are public opinion shapers who influence their
audiences using well-tailored personalities on social media (Dhanesh and Duthler, 2019).
Influencers originated from social media, which means they gained their popularity and
reputation as opinion leaders directly through social media (Ibáñez-Sánchez et al., 2021).

Influencers' individuality is demonstrated by the way they interact with their large number of
accumulated followers and a level of interpersonal connection they have with their followers
that go beyond what is seen on TV or in popular movies (Kowalczyk and Pounders, 2016). Jin
et al, (2019) define influencers as “normal and ordinary internet users who, through the textual
and visual narration of their personal lives and lifestyles on blogs and social media, amass a
relatively large following, engage with their following in 'digital' and 'physical' spaces, and
monetize their following by incorporating 'advertorials' into their blogs or social media posts
and making physical paid-guest appearances at events”. An "influencer" is a form of "micro-
celebrity" and digital content creator that has built an online following and makes money from
marketers who pay them to promote products to their audience throughout their different social
media profiles.

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The influencer develops platform-specific content with the goal of reaching as many people
as possible in a certain demographic. To cross-promote and expand their self-brand, influencers
frequently work across many platforms, balancing personal blogs and accounts for Instagram,
YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, and other social media sites (O’Meara, 2019). In our research a
social media influencer will be taken in the context of popular micro celebrities who have
accumulated a large following and our opinion shapers and taste developers for their followers.

2.2.2.1 Attractiveness

Erdogan (1999) stated that attractiveness is simply “a stereotype of positive associations to a

person and entails not only physical attractiveness but also other characteristics such as
personality and athletic ability.” Wang and Scheinbaum (2008) reported that advertisers often
consider physically beautiful influencers when planning and executing promotional campaigns
because of a greater impact on customers' views about the targeted brands. Amos et al., (2008).
define attractiveness as a key indicator in boosting the appeal of luxury products by associating
it with their attractiveness, this is an advantage for attractive influencers.

Consumers find a social media influencer attractive if there is a likeness or familiarity with the
influencer. Attractiveness is a physical quality that encompasses a variety of features that
influencers possess, such as academic abilities, personality traits, and lifestyle characteristics
(Shimp & Andrews, 2012). Consumers frequently trust the recommendations of those who
have provide sufficient product knowledge. As a result, consumers are more likely to notice
and like influencers who are attractive and have charismatic personalities. The more attractive
an influencer is, the more social power they possess and the more likely their audience is to
trust them (Pham, Yen Dang, Yen Hoang, Nga Tran, Quynh Ngo, 2021). Attractiveness refers
to the degree to which an influencer can be considered good looking but as of recently it can
be stated that attractiveness can also refer to the quality of the content the influencer posts on
their social media pages.

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2.2.2.2 Credibility
Credibility is the degree to which consumers see an influencer as a trustworthy expert in respect
to a product or service (Djafarova & Rushworth, 2017). Expertise and trustworthiness were
proposed as two factors of credibility (Sternthal, Phillips, & Dholakia, 1978). Erdogan (1999)
explains trustworthiness as having competencies like integrity, honesty, dependability, and
believability of an endorser. McCroskey (1966) defines expertise as having the necessary
knowledge, abilities, and experience to promote a brand. Lafferty and Newell (2013) state that
the endorser’s expertise may also mean the knowledge, qualification or competence that they
have regarding the products or services that they are promoting. One component that impacts
the efficiency of a marketing signal is credibility. The term "perceived source credibility" refers
to a perceiver's assessment of an influencer's credibility (Nafees et al., 2021). (Ohanian, 1990)
defined source credibility as a communicator’s positive characteristics that affect the receiver’s
acceptance of a message. The competency or qualification of an influencer, including the
influencer's knowledge or abilities, to make particular statements about a specific product is
referred to as expertise which along with trustworthiness which is the consumers' perception
of an influencer as honest, sincere, or these two factors combined create credibility of an
influencer (Lou & Yuan, 2019). In other words, credibility of an influencer also means that the
influencer is well informed about the products they are mentioning so that they gain the trust
of their followers.

2.2.2.3 Product Match up

The extent of successful match-up can be determined by the degree of fitness between the brand
and the celebrity (Erdogan 1999). The physical beauty of the influencer is also taken into
account when putting together a product influencer match. Attractive celebrities are more
persuasive, especially when advocating things that improve attractiveness, because people
assume that if the product improved the influencer's appearance, it will improve theirs as well
(Ahmed, Mir & Farooq, 2012). Misra and Beatty (1990) defined endorser-brand alignment a
state in which “the highly relevant characteristics of the spokesperson are consistent with the
highly relevant attributes of the brand”

In order to obtain a better result in the marketing campaign, the influencer's image and the
product should send out a consistent message (Manran, 2019). Product Matchup is defined as
the degree of correlation between the brand's visible attributes and the influencer's visible

9
attributes, which are impacted by the audience's personal relevance, processing objective,
judgmental certainty, and individual accountability (Manran, 2019).

Lynch and Schuler (1994) stated that the concept of endorser alignment is based on traits shared
by the endorser and the product or endorsed brand. Using an endorser who isn't a good fit for
the endorsed product can backfire on the advertising plan. Product match-up generally refers
to ensuring that the influencers' traits and the product aspects are similar in order to maximize
the efficiency of the advertisement.

2.2.3 Brand reputation

Fombrun (1996) describes brand reputation as “a perceptual representation of a company’s past
actions and future prospects that describe the firm’s appeal to all of its key constituents.”
A brand's reputation is a combination of trustworthiness, admiration, compassion, respect, and
belief in a company's present and likely future activities — a combination that can easily be
lost (Gotsi & Wilson, 2001). The perception of service quality connected with a brand name is
referred to as brand reputation (Sugiharto et al., 1999). A 'collective representation of images,'
or an accumulation of reflections or images created over time, forms the basis of brand
reputation. In other words, reputation is formed on the impressions of various images by
important stakeholders, and hence the means by which the business brand is positioned in their
minds. Furthermore, through reinforcing consistent ideals, visuals, and beliefs, a favorable and
strong reputation can boost a brand's trust and authenticity (Joshi & Yadav, 2018).

A positive brand repute is an integral part of successful customer association, which can have
a substantial impact on an organization's business performance (Ewing et al., 1999). Scholars
agreed that brand reputation is a valuable asset for a company since it produces goodwill and
must be regularly maintained because it is exceedingly fragile and difficult to repair (Black and
Carnes, 2000; Howard, 1998). A stellar reputation will set the company apart from its
competition (Howard, 1998). Furthermore, a strong brand reputation will lead customers to
believe that the products are of higher quality, allowing the company to command a higher
price, attract better candidates and investors, improve sources of financing, generate word-of-
mouth endorsement, and act as a deterrent to imitation (Omar et al., 2009).

10
2.2.4 Purchase Intention

There is a clear relationship between how much consumers identify with social media
influencers and their attitude towards a brand, their engagement with the brand, and their
likelihood to make a purchase from the brand (Chetioui et al., 2000). This relationship is
mediated by how much the consumer feels that the influencer is like them. Additionally, the
consumer's perception of the endorser's motive moderates the extent to which they respond to
self-influencers d (Tariq et al., 2013). There are two types of customers - those who are Regular
and those who are Online. Those who are tilted towards exploration orientation seem to behave
freely and openly, meaning they do not make plans to purchase a product (Ramlugun &
Jugurnauth, 2014). Purchase intention indicates that customers will gather information, analyze
substitutes, and make purchase decisions based on their previous experiences, preferences, and
external environment (Chi, Yeh, & Tsai, 2011).

2.3 Relationship between variables

2.3.1 Influencer Attractiveness and Purchase Intention

An influencer who is physically fit and good looking, and who is able to connect their looks to
the brand's expressed message, is seen as more influential and has a greater percentage of
message acceptance. The physical traits, characteristics, and attractiveness of the influencer are
the source of attractiveness (Khan, Riaz, Ahmed & Idrees, 2022). Loua and Yuan (2019) have
stated that attractiveness of influencers not only influences customers' confidence in the
product, but it also has the potential to increase brand awareness. Influencer endorsers have
distinct features that draw consumers' attention and, as a result, may influence their purchasing
decisions. Furthermore, consumers are attracted to influencers because of their outward
appearance, personality, or lifestyle. Influencers have a larger probability of influencing
consumers' purchasing intentions because of their attractiveness, which is prominently visible
in them (Ahmed et al., 2020). For the purchase process to initiate by the gathering of more
information, the influencer’s content must prompt the attention of the customer by seeming
attractive to the customer (Lou & Yuan, 2019). So, influencers social media posts need to be
interesting and attractive for consumers to exhibit behavior that involves engaging with the
brand and encourages them to find out more about the recommended brand which then
eventually leads to intentions of purchasing from the brand (Martinez-Lopez et al., 2020).
Reviews from online influencers, particularly those who customers find attractive, are an

11
essential factor that can influence the possibility of consumer purchasing intention through
social media platforms (Jansom & Pongsakornrungsilp, 2021). If the social media influencer
is well-known, professional, & attractive, consumers will be able to rapidly comprehend the
information which is being shown to them, forming a brand image and increasing customer
purchasing interest in the promoted products (Nurhandayani, Syarief & Najib, 2019). Through
this we can try and build a relationship that an influencer’s attractiveness has an impact on the
intention to purchase which we will further test and analyze as a part of this research. And thus,
with the above literature in perspective, it can be hypothesized that:

H1: Attractiveness of a social media influencer positively influences purchase intentions

2.3.2 Influencer Credibility and Purchase Intention

Consumers think that because they have seen Instagram reviews of a product posted by an
influencer they admire and trust, their purchasing decision is less risky (Lin, Crowe, Pierre &
Lee, 2021). However, an Instagram influencer who posts a product promotion or review
without demonstrating a thorough understanding of the product's features may not be
considered a reliable source for promoting that product (Lin et al., 2021). For any sponsored
post that is shared on an influencer's social media profile the influencer with more expertise
will be more effective in raising awareness of the promoted product and creating purchase
intent (AlFarraj et al., 2021). Audiences have a perception that a credible Influencer only accept
sponsorship contracts from trustworthy companies. This enables to explain why social media
influencers can increase purchase intent even when their followers` are have complete
awareness that they are paid by brands (Argyris et al., 2021).

(Lou and Yuan, 2019) state that consumers perceive influencer created content as reliable,
credible, and attractive because of its informative value, which has a positive impact on
purchasing intentions. Influencers are information providers who are well-known for their
knowledge in a certain field. According to several studies, consumers' purchase intent is linked
to the endorser's perceived knowledge (Lou and Yuan, 2019). Belanche, Casaló, Flavián and
Ibáñez-Sánchez (2021) propose that an influencer may successfully promote any brand using
social media endorsements and achieve success only if their followers find their personality
attractive and the content of their post credible. This can result in a variety of behavioral
responses, such as followers wanting to learn more about the endorsed brand because they want

12
to buy the things endorsed, or followers wanting to imitate the influencer's lifestyle. (Stubb &
Colliander, 2019). Followers who buy things online prefer to do their homework on the product
and service before making a purchase, acquiring information from other customers' experiences
or social media influencers' posts since it decreases the calculated risk and enhances the
shopper's trust. People regard influencer endorsements and follower-turned-customer reviews
as authentic and trustworthy sources of information, giving the influencer credibility (Lou and
Yuan, 2019). Through the abovementioned viewpoints’ we can try and build a relationship that
an influencer’s credibility has a substantial effect on the intention to purchase which we will
further test and analyze as a part of this research. And thus, with the above literature in
perspective, it can be hypothesized that:

H2: Credibility of a social media influencer has a positive impact on purchase intention

2.3.3 Influencer Product Match Up and Purchase Intention

When an influencer is chosen to promote a business, they must find a suitable matchup with
the brand's specific qualities and features. If the match is deemed to be ideal, they will be able
to cater to or impress their target audience, attracting them to generate purchase intent in their
minds ((Khan et al., 2022). An influencer who is a good fit for the endorsed brand can have a
big impact on advertising effectiveness and purchase intent (Abd Aziz et al., 2020). If there is
a lack of connection between the promoter and the brand being endorsed, the audience may
believe that the influencer has been "bought," meaning that they have been heavily
compensated to support and advertise the product. There's a chance that with the appropriate
coordination or match-up, the endorser will become more appealing to the clients. As a result,
it will have an impact on their purchase intention (Charuvila & Jnaneswar, 2021). Establishing
a perfect fit between influencers and the things they promote is essential for success in building
effective marketing conversions. The influencer degree of product match-up is a model that
demonstrates that influencers should be suitable in their support of the product, and that the
product's use could boost consumer interest in such products, and also influence consumers
purchase intentions (Astuti & Risqiani, 2020).

When consumers see a mismatch between the influencer and the brand, their brand-benefit
perceptions and purchase intention show evidence of a dilution impact. Surprisingly,
perceptions of match-up or consistency are influenced not just by important influencer

13
attributes linked with the brand, but also by irrelevant information offered by the influencer in
the advertisement (Paul & Bhakar, 2018) Through the abovementioned viewpoints’ we can try
and build a relationship, that a product matchup of an influencer with the brand being endorsed
has a substantial effect on the intention to purchase which we will further test and analyze as a
part of this research. And thus, with the above literature in perspective, it can be hypothesized
that:

H3: Product matchup between the endorsed brand and the social media influencer positively
impacts purchase intentions

2.3.4 Influencer’s Attractiveness on Purchase Intention with mediation of Brand

Reputation

An online social media influencer with his/her attractiveness can have an impact on brand
reputation (Torres et al., 2019). This impact is often debated in different studies, where a social
media influencers’ attractiveness would be able to build a positive brand reputation. In research
of Bonus et al., (2022), an influencer’s attractiveness is able to improve brand reputation,
however, it is not the only characteristic sought of an influencer that is able to build brand trust
and brand reputation (Bonus et al., 2022). Their study argues that a company has to choose the
right influencer, who is attractive, for the right brand. Because, if the product which is being
endorsed is not appropriate with the influencer’s lifestyle or personality, the consumers can be
left with a feeling of distrust from both, the company and the influencer. When considering
attractiveness, it is imperative that one must understand the two branches of attractiveness,
which are, physical and social attractiveness (Masuda et al., 2022). Here, social attractiveness
relates to the appeal of a person (Sokolova & Kefi, 2020). Therefore, an influencer’s physical
and social attractiveness plays an elemental role in building brand reputation (Masuda et al.,
2022). Attractiveness refers to a person's physical or social appeal/charisma as a media figure
(Yuan and Lou, 2020). Furthermore, according to (Weismueller et al., 2020), beauty is a key
factor that enhances the impact of celebrity endorsements on a customer's purchasing patterns.
A favorable movement in ideas and attitudes in response to a persuasive message is referred to
as persuasion (Rossiter & Percy, 2018). As a result, user-generated brand posts should have a
stronger influence on purchase intent than publicly reported advertising or brand postings.
Consumer insight or perceptions of the company, such as brand awareness (Gaines-Ross,

14
1997), quality perceptions (Caruana & Chircop 2000; Chun 2005), attitudes toward the brand
(Ahluwalia et al. 2000), and purchase intentions, are used to assess corporate reputation and its
outcomes (Bromley 2002; Chun 2005).

Physical attractiveness is a key factor in determining the effectiveness of a celebrity

endorsement, according to a wealth of research. Studies have consistently shown that people
are more likely to have positive attitudes towards and purchase intention for products that are
endorsed by good-looking celebrities (Petty et al., 1983; Erdogan 1999). This is because
attractive people are more persuasive and have greater influence than those who are less
physically appealing. So, if you want your product to get a boost from a celebrity endorsement,
make sure to choose an influencer with physical traits that will appeal to your target audience
(Till & Busler, 2000). Additionally, consumer perceptions of a celebrity's endorsement may be
impacted by the endorser's attractiveness (Bardia et al., 2011). In other words, a charming and
likable endorser can act as a brand spokesperson (Atkin et al., 2019) by stimulating consumers'
positive beliefs, which leads to a desire to purchase the product. Commercials featuring a
desirable source can cause a shift in customers' attitudes and purchase intentions. The "degree
to which a brand is reputable, favorable, and distinctive" is referred to as brand reputation
(Sophonsiri & Polyorat, 2019). It is critical for brand success because it has a positive effect
on market share (Gonzalez-Benito, Pilar Martnez-Ruiz, & Molla-Descals, 2018).

The interaction between consumers and brands is also influenced by perceived brand
reputation. To some extent, the perceived reputation of a brand appears to influence the quality
of the interaction between consumers and brands (Hayes, Alford, Silver, and York, 2017).
Brand reputation is influenced by brand personality traits and brand connotations (Sophonsiri
& Polyorat, 2019). Online influencers use their social media accounts to post product-related
material, which is their primary method of influencing attitudes of a user toward the brand and
purchase intentions. The research looked at source credibility in three dimensions
(attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise), and found that purchased intention is only
related to the celebrity endorser's perceived expertise: when consumers believe the social media
influencer has a high level of expert opinion about the product, they are more likely to buy it
(Ohanian, 1991). Models with slender and "perfect" body types have been used as endorsers in
advertising for decades to send ideas about how to be ideally beautiful. As a result, women of
all ages began to feel that to be beautiful, they needed to look like the models they saw in the
media. Through the above-mentioned viewpoints’, we can try and build a relationship, that an

15
influencer’s attractiveness has a significant impact on the intention to purchase with brand
reputation acting as a mediator between the two, which we will further test and analyze as a
part of this research. And thus, with the above literature in perspective, it can be hypothesized
that:

H4a: Social media influencer’s attractiveness has a positive effect on brand reputation

H4b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between attractiveness of a SMI and purchase
intention

2.3.5 Influencer’s Credibility on purchase intention with a mediation of Brand

Reputation

Previous research(s) has identified the effectiveness of influencer marketing is based on the
influencer’s authority, credibility and the measure of congruence between the influencer and
the product the brand is selling (Bonus et al., 2022). A credible influencer is defined as the
degree of expertise and trustworthiness that he/she exhibits through his/her interactions on
social media platforms (Sokolova and Kefi, 2020). The relation between how an influencer’s
credibility influences a brand’s reputation, is further studied by Leite and Baptista (2021). And
their findings indicate that a strong relationship which is positive, exists between social media
influencer’s credibility and the impact it has on brand reputation (Leite & Baptista, 2021).

'Consumers will build or break brands based on trust,' according to (Amed et al., 2019). To
help the fashion sector stay competitive, contemporary, and appealing, it is critical to
understand the impact of both the endorser's and brand's credibility on consumers' purchase
intention. In their research, Spears and Singh (2019) emphasized the importance of attitude
behavior when it comes to purchase intent. One of the most widely employed tactics in
advertising to affect consumers' opinions and purchase intentions is endorser credibility.
Another form of credibility discovered in marketing that can influence these cognitions is
corporate credibility, or the reputation of the company (Phaik Nie Chin, Salm`i Mohd Isa &
Yasmin` Alodin, 2020) Clothes businesses to devise a number of marketing methods to entice
customers and increase their purchase intention. On consumers' purchase intention of products
sold by local apparel brands, the relationship between endorser credibility and brand

16
credibility. Furthermore, the mediating influence of attitudes toward brand credibility and
attitudes toward brand.

Customer perceptions of a fashion brand are highly influenced by the brand's credibility.
According to Amed et al (2019), research has shown that customers will make or break
businesses based on trust. In order to keep the fashion industry competitive, contemporary, and
appealing, it is critical to evaluate the impact of both the endorser's and brand's credibility on
consumer purchase intention. This is especially relevant in the sense of the fashion market
(Wigley, 2015), skincare products (Muda et al., 2014), sportswear industry (Ong and Ong
2015; Wei and Wu 2013), athlete apparels. Customer perceptions of a fashion brand are highly
influenced by the brand's credibility. According to Amed et al (2019), research has shown that
customers will make or break businesses based on trust. In order to keep the fashion industry
competitive, contemporary, and appealing, it is critical to evaluate the impact of both the
endorser's and brand's credibility on consumer purchase intention. This is especially relevant
in the sense of the fashion market (Wigley, 2015), skincare products (Muda et al., 2014),
sportswear industry (Ong and Ong 2015; Wei and Wu 2013), athlete apparels. In a study
conducted by Belch and Belch (2004), the authors found that attitude towards brand mediating
effect on the relationship between attitude toward advertisement and purchase intention in the
instance of overhead items in Yemen. Sallam and Wahid (2012) also found that attitude
towards brand mediating effect on the relationship between attitude toward advertisement and
purchase intention in the instance of overhead items in Yemen.

According to Ong and Ong (2015), the effect of attitude toward advertising on purchase
intention depends on the moderating role of endorser credibility. Spears and Singh (2004)
emphasized the importance of attitude toward brand for purchase intention. Consumer attitude
has positive and significant effects on purchase intention, according to the latest literature
addressed in the 'Attitude–Behavioral relation' section (Sallam and Wahid 2012; Wahid and
Ahmed 2011; Paul and Bhakar 2018; Ong and Ong 2015; Wang and Yang 2010; Jeng 2016).
The impacts of endorsement or source credibility on advertisement effectiveness have been
widely researched in the marketing and social psychological literature (e.g., Aronson, Turner,
and Carlsmith 1963; Sternthal, Phillips, and Dholalua 1978; Harmon and Coney, 1982).
According to Fishbein and Ajzen (2018), reliability affects the likelihood that a person will
perform an action. Furthermore, the trustworthiness of a corporation appears to have a direct
impact on brand perceptions and purchase inclinations.

17
As a result of the growing importance of corporate legitimacy, managers must become far more
conscious of how customers perceive their firm (Fombrun, 1996). This is because consumer
impressions can influence the success or failure of promotions and sales. As a result,
organizations must constantly assess consumer and other stakeholder perceptions of corporate
legitimacy. Consumer surveys and their sentiments about a company appear to be essential for
efficient decision-making on an annual or even more frequent basis. Managers can notice
changes in consumer perceptions of company credibility and take remedial action, if necessary,
by tracking consumer perceptions of corporate credibility.

In the past few years, social media has become an increasingly important part of marketing
strategies. Part of this is because consumers are more likely than ever to trust their peers'
opinions over brands and their advertising (Evans et al., 2017). Brands all over the world are
fully aware of people's social media habits and are increasingly capitalizing on their use of
social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (Statista, 2017). The global
revenue from social media advertising was 68 billion dollars in 2018, and it is expected to reach
185 billion dollars in 2022. (Statista, 2018). Influencer marketing, in particular, has grown in
importance as a marketing communications tool because it allows for quick connection with a
huge number of potential consumers at a cheaper cost than traditional advertising (Evans et al.,
2017). Because of the increased use of influencer marketing on social networking sites and
public concerns about consumer protection, firms are now required to disclose advertising that
is prominent, well-placed, and unambiguous in meaning (FTC, 2015).

Source credibility is a concept that has been studied extensively by communication researchers.
Source credibility models attempt to identify the three most important source effects on
purchase intent, brand attitudes, and attitude toward advertising (Amos et al., 2008; Wang and
Scheinbaum, 2018; Phua et al., 2018). The degree to which an endorser is perceived as
sophisticated, sensual, and gorgeous is referred to as attractiveness (Erdogan, 1999). An
endorser's perceived reliability, dependability, and honesty is referred regarded as
trustworthiness (Erdogan, 1999). As a result, it's critical for marketers to find a celebrity
endorser who ranks high on these lists (Shimp, 1997). The degree to which a celebrity is viewed
as competent, knowledgeable, qualified, and in general reliable is characterized as expertise
(Erdogan). The communication efficacy of the celebrity endorsement can be measured using
two main variables: source credibility and message effectiveness (Amos et al., 2008). This

18
theory allows us to predict how consumers will react towards the messages conveyed by
celebrities. Given that marketer is always looking for new ways of engaging consumers with
their brands through advertising campaigns then this model has become increasingly important
for marketers looking for new ways of communicating with consumers

Marketing is the study of how to influence consumers. Buyer behavior is a critical marketing
concept that refers to the way customers make purchasing decisions. There are two types of
buyer behavior: purchase intention and brand attitude. Purchase intentions are related to a brand
with the goal of carrying out a buying behavior, whereas brand attitudes are merely summaries
of brands. In this context, celebrity endorsements are one-way marketers can influence
customers' perceptions of brands (Ohanian 1991). However, instead of focusing on a celebrity's
actual experience with a product or service, marketers tend to focus on how customers perceive
them (Ohanian 1991). Celebrity endorsements can be effective because they provide an image
for customers to associate with their product or service (Spears and Singh 2004). For example,
Beyoncé has been known for her healthy eating habits since she appeared in ads for Weight
Watchers in 2015. She also partnered with PepsiCo in 2016 to promote its products (Spears
and Singh 2004). However, there are some potential issues that marketers need to consider
when using celebrities as endorsers: customer perceptions of influencer legitimacy;
transparency in data collection methods; and

H5a: Social media influencer’s credibility has a positive effect on brand reputation

H5b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between credibility of a SMI and purchase
intention

19
2.3.6 Influencer’s Product Matchup on Purchase intention with a mediation of Brand
Reputation

The matchup hypothesis states that a product, which is being endorsed by an endorser, is more
effective when there is a strong match between the endorser and the endorsed product (Till &
Busler, 2000). Another explanation of this hypotheses stated that endorsers are more effective
when they have a "fit" with the product (Kamins, 1990). The study (Till & Busler, 2000) also
reported that athletes were a better fit for endorsing an energy bar compared to film stars, since
athletes are more easily associated with an energy bar. This finding of theirs, goes hand in hand
with the above stated matchup hypothesis, as stated in a research done by Breves et al. (2019).
When companies are able to successfully match the endorser with the product being endorsed,
it is able to generate a modest brand reputation and brand awareness (Saima & Khan, 2020). In
a research by Kamins and Gupta (1994), it was suggested that a considerate amount of matchup
between influencer and the product being endorsed can receive a significantly higher outreach,
which can translate into a positive intent to purchase the product.

Furthermore, Choi and Rifon, (2012) indicate that a match between the endorser and the
product increased purchase intentions, but solely through attitudes toward the advertisement
and the brand, in a more extensive investigation of the matching hypothesis. To expand on the
concept of purchase intentions, it refers to a person's likelihood of purchasing a specific product
over rival brands as a result of a combination of requirements and expectations, brand
perception, and promotional efforts (Tirtiroglu & Elbeck, 2008; Kotler and Armstrong, 2010).
Here, it is necessary to understand the implications the matchup hypotheses has, on forming
positive evaluations towards a brand, which essentially translates to a purchase intention. An
example (Shan et al., 2019) cited in a study, really drives this point home, through mentioning
the similarity between influencers physical attractiveness with a beauty related product. It
further expands on the concept that this product matchup instigates a process of brand
evaluation in the consumer mind as it is imperative that a consumer sees the product being
endorsed as a “fit” between the endorser and endorsed product or brand. It can be extrapolated
that, a higher level of perceived resemblance between the attributes of a brand or a product,
and influencer’s personality traits, stimulates a positive attitude concerning the product or
brand being endorsed and the purchase intentions (Wright, 2015).

Studies suggest that a consumer’s recall of those advertisements are higher in which there is a
strong congruence between influencer personality traits and brand attributes (Belanche et al.,

20
2021). In the above literature this consumer recall is reiterated by the example given of athlete
endorsing an energy bar. However, this association between product and influencer results in
an active comparison between the personality of influencer and the consumer him/herself
(Khan, 2019). Therefore, brands must be extra cautious when selecting the right influencer for
the right product to boost brand credibility, as the avoidance of this, can cause a product
mismatch (reverse of product matchup) and eventually lead to a reduced or no intent to
purchase. Though there has been much research to study the effect product matchup of an
influencer has on the intentions to purchase, significantly less research is available on how the
brand reputation or credibility plays a mediating role in strengthening the relationship of
influencers product matchup on purchase intentions. This study aims to fill this gap by
examining the mediating effect of a brands reputation in enhancing the perceived product
matchup of an influencer, which translated to a purchase intention. Subsequently, through the
above literature in perspective we can hypothesize that:

H6a: Social media influencer’s product matchup has a positive effect on brand reputation

H6b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between product matchup of a SMI and
purchase intention

2.3.7 Brand reputation and Purchase Intention

A positive brand reputation aids in improving a company's sales performance and market share,
as well as building a loyal and trustworthy relationship with customers (Kircova and Esen,
2018). Customers place significant value on reputable brands, which leads to increased
purchase intent. As a result, the more a brand is renowned, the higher the conformation and the
greater the likelihood of repurchase (Sarwar et al., 2020). A company's reputation is built on
long-term investments of resources, effort, and attention to customer relationship building.
Consumers choose reputable companies because they perceive less risk and uncertainty, which
leads to purchase intent (Qalati et al., 2021).

Before deciding to buy a product, consumers would consider about the e-commerce image and
reputation numerous times. In order to maintain the favorable promotion effect, online
enterprises must understand consumer purchase intention and actual behavior factors (Pinto &
Paramita, 2021). The image of a brand can be influenced by its reputation. For example, a

21
product with a positive brand image might become a negative brand image product in the eyes
of the consumer if there are some events that result in a negative reputation, and vice versa.
Brand reputation also plays a role in assisting consumers in making decisions and expressing
the value of a particular brand (Sugiharto et al.2019). To build consumer trust and eliminate
uncertainty, a highly competitive industry like restaurants needs have a strong brand reputation.
Consumer trust is a component in purchasing behavior that can minimize consumers'
perceptions of risk and uncertainty. Furthermore, when customers trust a brand, they assume
the food is of high quality. It allows a recognized brand to influence their purchasing decisions.
In other words, when a store's brand reputation is strong, customers are more likely to buy the
product, and vice versa (Joshi & Yadav, 2018).

A strong brand image is a key factor in the success of a business. A study conducted in Europe
and the United States found that a store with a strong brand image has a higher profit margin
because the brand image influences the consumer's decision to buy or not buy the goods.
Furthermore, when consumers are making a purchasing decision for items, brand image is a
critical factor to consider. Consumers are more likely to acquire goods from a store with a
strong brand image.

Brand reputation is also an important factor in determining whether or not people will choose
one company over another (Schwaiger, 2004). Corporate reputation consists of ten elements:
employee quality, management quality, financial performance, product and service quality,
market leadership, customer orientation or focus, the organization's attractiveness or emotional
appeal, social responsibility, ethical behavior, and reliability (Schwaiger, 2004).

Momani (2015) classify customers based on their level of loyalty. The first is unwavering
loyalty. This loyalty is for customers who have a strong desire to choose a specific brand again
and over again. The second is split loyalty, which is ideal for customers who have multiple
brand options and alternate between them. Then there's the issue of shifting loyalty. This type
of loyalty is aimed towards customers who switch from one brand to another. The switcher is
the fourth component. This sort of consumer loyalty is characterized by a willingness to switch
brands without demonstrating a commitment to a single brand. Prior research (Alhaddad, 2014;
Espejel, Fandos, & Flavian, 2008; Shukla, 2009) examined brand equity, buy intention, and
purchase decision using brand loyalty. In this study, customer retention is related to purchase
intent. Company social responsibility can influence corporate trust, which can influence
customer loyalty and purchase intent (Pivato, Misani, & Tencati, 2008). Through the

22
abovementioned viewpoints’ we can try and build a relationship, that a reputation of brand has
a significant impact on the purchase intention, which we will further test and analyze as a part
of this research. And thus, with the above literature in perspective, it can be hypothesized that:

H7: Brand reputation has a positive impact on purchase intention

2.4 Theoretical Framework & Hypotheses

23
Following the framework for analysis, the hypotheses hereunder have been
proposed for testing the relationships between the variables:

H1: Attractiveness of a social media influencer positively influences purchase intentions

H2: Credibility of a social media influencer has a positive impact on purchase intention

H3: A product matchup with a social media influencer has a positive impact on purchase intention

H4a: Social media influencer’s attractiveness has a positive effect on brand reputation

H4b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between attractiveness of a SMI and purchase
intention

H5a: Social media influencer’s credibility has a positive effect on brand reputation

H5b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between credibility of a SMI and purchase intention

H6a: Social media influencer’s product matchup has a positive effect on brand reputation

H6b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between product matchup of a SMI and purchase
intention

H7: Brand reputation has a positive impact on purchase intention

24
Chapter 3

3. Methodology

3.1 Research Approach

This chapter gives an insight into the research methodology, research design and a broader idea
on how the data will be collected and analyzed for this research. This research is done to study
the impact of social media influencers on the purchase intentions of a consumer with the
mediation of brand reputation in the apparel industry of Pakistan. Here, a deductive research
approach is utilized, in which hypothetical information (hypotheses) is developed using
existing researches’ which is further used to design a research strategy and the testing of
hypotheses to establish well founded outcomes of this research (Wilson, 2014). This selection
of research approach is used keeping in mind this study goes from general to specific. The
nature of this research is a quantitative empirical study which will use the cross-sectional time
horizon, owing to the fact that data will be collected at one point in time.

3.2 Research Design

As to the design of this research, the quantitative empirical study based on survey is selected,
which enables the researchers to investigate the impact of independent, mediator and dependent
variables at a particular point in time. The quantitative method, with its set of limitations,
empowers the researchers to investigate findings in a relatively shorter period of time with a
significant sample size, which strengthens the statistical testing to validate the investigation of
findings. This method is materialized through the use of numerical and statistical date which
assists in studying the relationship between the variables.
The data will be collected in the form of online & physical questionnaires, which will be
distributed to the maximum number of participants who are inclined to use social media
platforms. This questionnaire will consist of a five-point Likert scale, from “strongly disagree”
to “strongly agree” for each of the questions used for data collection. This data collected will
then be used to test the validity and reliability of the variables chosen for this study. The
questionnaire method ensures that the accuracy and objectivity of the variables is consistent
with the aims of the study. The method selected is considered fast, effective and can essentially
highlight a wider are of the topic.

25
3.3 Unit of analysis.

For this investigative research, the unit of analysis will be the individual him/herself, due to
the fact that the participant of our survey comprises of individuals from all walks of life, who
interact with influencers and brands on social media platforms.

3.4 Population

The population of this study consists of male and female respondents who interact with apparel
brands on social media platforms, from all over Pakistan with a focus on the age bracket of 18–
50-year-old. The individuals that will participate in this study must be able to read and write,
so that they are able to accurately answer the questions of the survey.

3.5 Sample size & Characteristics

For this research, the population sample size will consist of 250-300 respondents. To ensure
the integrity of the data is maintained and that it is reliable and credible for the purpose of this
research. The demographics of the respondents will comprise of age, gender, occupation,
income bracket and screen time of social media applications. The sample will essentially
comprise of followers of various social media influencers who are actively engaging with the
advertised content posted by different brands or influencer him/herself.

3.6 Data Collection Procedure

The sample size mentioned above consists of 250-300 individuals, of which data relating to
different variables mentioned in this study will be collected and analyzed to test the hypotheses
outlined in chapter two. This survey measures the eight variables which are; social media
marketing, social media influencer, an influencer’s attractiveness, credibility, product matchup,
brand reputation and purchase intention. The questionnaire will be divided into two parts,
where the first part will be a filter question or a pre-requisite in order to move the second part
of the questionnaire. The first part will answer the question whether the respondent is familiar
with any social media influencer that endorses apparel brands. While answering the second
part of the questionnaire, the respondents will be answering the various questions keeping in
mind their favorite social media influencer in the apparel industry.

26
3.7 Data Analysis Technique

We aim to analyze the data collected through a powerful statistical software the SmartPLS for
a thorough statistical analysis, to assess the validity, reliability and develop a Partial Least
Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). And tentatively, the instrument selected to
carry out this research is the 5-point Likert scale, with the sentiment level ranging from
Strongly Disagree, “1” to Strongly Agree “5”. This adoption of a 5-point Likert scale is used
to increases the response rate and the quality of the response along with reducing the frustration
level of a respondent (Babakus and Mangold, 1992). There is also evidence that the five-point
scales are immediately comprehensible to respondents and efficiently enables them to express
their opinion when asked a certain question. The questions that will be asked are well structured
and close ended questions to effectively drive the point home with greater ease and greater
reliability of the data.

3.8 Instrument Selection

The scales that this study will use to test the hypotheses mentioned in 2.4 along with the
instrument selection and where the items have been adapted are shown below in table 1. As
presented in table 1, social media influencer was measured using four dimensions, while only
single dimensions were used to measure purchase intentions and brand reputation. To carry
This questionnaire will consist of a five-point Likert scale, from “strongly disagree” to
“strongly agree” for each of the questions used for data collection. The questions used for this
survey are structured and close-ended. Furthermore, this structured questionnaire which is a
means to primary data, will be based on four independent variables, one dependent variable,
and one mediating variable that links and explains the relationship between the two variables.
This will enable the researchers to extract the necessary data about the preferences of the
respondents and draw conclusions based on those findings. The adoption of the five-point
Likert scale which takes less time and effort to complete, and being a quantitative
measurement, enables the researchers to deliver these findings.

27
 Table 3.8
Instrument Adopted
Variable Likert Scale Items
From
Dependent Variable

PI Pinto and Paramita (2021) Five-Point Likert Scale 5

Independent Variable

SMIA Pinto and Paramita (2021) Five-Point Likert Scale 6

SMIC Pinto and Paramita (2021) Five-Point Likert Scale 6

SMIPM Pinto and Paramita (2021) Five-Point Likert Scale 5

Mediator
Seven-Point Likert
BR Lau , G. (1999) 6
Scale

3.8.1 Purchase Intention

For the Research of this dependent variable, five items have been adopted which were used by Pinto
and Paramita (2021) which uses a five-point Likert scale. This variable will be used to the quantify
the purchase intentions influenced by an influencer endorsement

A few sample question are given below:

a. Consumers are looking for information about products that are reviewed by influencers.
b. Consumers feel proud to use products that are reviewed by influencers.

3.8.2 SMI Attractiveness

For the Research of this independent variable, six items have been adopted for this study, which were
used by Pinto and Paramita (2021), that uses a five-point Likert scale. This variable will be used to the
quantify the attractiveness of an SMI.

Sample questions are given below

a. Have a good personality

b. Have an attractive physical appearance

28
3.8.3 SMI Credibility
For the Research of this independent variable, six items have been adopted for this study, which were
used by Pinto and Paramita (2021), that uses a five-point Likert scale. This variable will be used to the
quantify the credibility of an SMI

Sample questions are given below

a. Know the product being reviewed

b. Be honest when conveying information

3.8.4 SMI Product Matchup

For the Research of this independent variable, five items have been adopted for this study, which were
used by Pinto and Paramita (2021), that uses a five-point Likert scale. This variable will be used to the
quantify the product matchup of an SMI

Sample questions are given below

a. There is a connection between the influencer and the product being reviewed.
b. The image of the influencer matches the endorsed product.
c. Influencers actually use the products they review

3.8.5 Brand Reputation

For the Research of this independent variable, six items have been adopted for this study, which were
used by Lau , G. (1999) that uses a seven-point Likert scale. However, to further streamline this
research, a five-point Likert scale will be used. This variable will be used to the quantify the brand
reputation.

Sample questions are given below

a. This brand has a reputation for being good.

b. Other people have told me that this brand is reliable
c. I have heard negative comments about this brand.

3.9 Ethical protocols

The participants of this research will only be able to participate once they have voluntarily
agreed to be a part of this research. Their responses are to be kept strictly confidential to ensure
ethical standards. The responses received will be utilized for academic purposes only and the

29
participants are free to withdraw from the study at any given time without prior approval. All
information regarding the study and its purpose will be provided to the respondents with
complete transparency before any data collection in order to ensure end to end consent of the
participants.

3.10 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The sustainable development goal we have incorporated in our in our research is decent work
and economic growth goal.
We have selected this specific goal because of the relevance that it has with our variables. For
instance, our reasearch aims to relate purchase intension with influencer marketing in,elations
to the apparel industry, consumers will more likely be inclined towards those apprel products
on which they have been influenced on by social media influencer’s dimensions.
Furthermore, social media influencer credibility is a variable in our research which directly
relates to decent work. Since we have specified our research to the apparel industry of
Pakistan more consumers purchasing apparel items will help the economy grow hence, the
relevance of the economic growth goal with our research.

30
Chapter 4
Analysis and Interpretation
4.0 Introduction
In this chapter, the aim was to determine that whether the hypotheses are accepted or not by
carrying out different tests. The first test that we ran was reliability test which was used in
order to prove the validity of terms. Furthermore, correlation analysis was also carried out on
our variables to measure and predict the growth of online entrepreneurship in relation to digital
platforms, customer knowledge with the mediating effect of digital innovation. In addition to
this, demographics were also analyzed to calculate the percentage and frequency of male and
female respondents. Moreover, regression analysis was done on our variables to check the
cause and effect along with the verification of our hypotheses being true or not.

4.1 Frequencies

The frequencies in this study will show how many respondents were familiar with social media
influencer, their gender and their age. Furthermore, in the frequency table it will also show the
frequencies of the most brands that were considered in the questionnaire along with the most
followed social media influencers.

Table 4.1
Valid Cumulative
Frequency Percentage
Percentage Percentage
Familiarity Yes 309 100.0 100.0 100.0

Gender Female 176 57.0 57.0 57.0

Male 133 43.0 43.0 100.0

Total 309

Age Under 20 58 18.8 18.8 18.8

21-30 111 35.9 35.9 54.7

31
 31-40 63 20.4 20.4 75.1

41 & above 77 24.9 24.9 100.0

Total 309

Brand Khaadi 78 25.2 25.2 25.2

Sapphire 84 27.2 27.2 52.4

Gul Ahmed 60 19.4 19.4 71.8

Generation 75 24.3 24.3 96.1

Other 12 3.9 3.9 100.0

Total 309 100.0

Influencer Waliya Najib 57 18.4 18.4 18.4

Hira Atiique 32 10.4 10.4 28.8

Hemayal
47 15.2 15.2 44.0
Attique

Laraib Rahim 36 11.7 11.7 55.7

Imran Abbas 33 10.7 10.7 66.3

Sana Javed 74 23.9 23.9 90.3

Ahad Raza
30 9.7 9.7 100.0
Mir

Total 309 100.0 100.0

4.1.1 Gender

Table 4.1.1
Frequencies Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Female 176 57.0 57.0
Male 133 43.0 43.0
Total 309 100.0 100.0

In this research, the survey was carried among 309 online respondents. Out of the 309
respondents from which the data was collected, 133 were males, 176 were females. This is a
percentage of about 43% male respondents and 57% female respondents.

32
4.1.2 Age

Table 4.1.2
.
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid Under 20 58 18.8 18.8 18.8
21-30 111 35.9 35.9 54.7
31-40 63 20.4 20.4 75.1
41 & above 77 24.9 24.9 100.0
Total 309 100.0 100.0

We further discovered that out of 309 respondents, 58 respondents belonged from the “under
20” age group, 111 respondents from the “21-30” group, 63 respondents from “31-40” age
group, and, 77 respondents belonged from the “41 & above” age group. Through this we can
understand that most of our respondents belonged from the “Gen Z” and “Millennial”
generation

4.1.3 Brand

Table 4.1.3

Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent

Valid Khaadi 78 25.2 25.2 25.2
Sapphire 84 27.2 27.2 52.4
Gul Ahmed 60 19.4 19.4 71.8
Generation 75 24.3 24.3 96.1
Other 12 3.9 3.9 100.0
Total 309 100.0 100.0

It was found that out of 309 respondents, 78 liked Khaadi, 84 liked Sapphire, 60 liked Gul
Ahmed, 75 liked Generation, and 12 liked “Other” brands which weren’t mentioned in the
questionnaire

33
4.1.4 Social Media Influencer

Table 4.1.4
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Valid Waliya Najib 57 18.4 18.4 18.4
Hira Atiique 32 10.4 10.4 28.8
Hemayal Attique 47 15.2 15.2 44.0
Laraib Rahim 36 11.7 11.7 55.7
Imran Abbas 33 10.7 10.7 66.3
Sana Javed 74 23.9 23.9 90.3
Ahad Raza Mir 30 9.7 9.7 100.0
Total 309 100.0 100.0

We also found the most familiar social media influencers through our questionnaire. And we
found that out of 309 respondents, 57 familiarized with “Waliya Najib”, 32 with “Hira
Attique”, 47 with “Hemayal Attique”, 36 with “Laraib Rahim”. 33 with “Imran Abbas”, 74
with “Sana Javed” and 30 with “Ahad Raza Mir”. The Influencer options were selected out of
the most followed personalities in the apparel industry and due to that we observe slight
variations in percentages.

4.2 Descriptive Statistics

Table 4.2
Std.
N Minimum Maximum Mean Skewness Kurtosis
Deviation
Std. Std.
Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic Statistic
Error Error
SMIA 309 1.00 5.00 3.9660 .51861 -1.268 .139 3.825 .276
SMIC 309 1.00 5.00 3.9234 .59510 -1.254 .139 2.548 .276
SMIPM 309 1.00 5.00 3.8893 .68985 -1.147 .139 1.187 .276
PI 309 1.00 5.00 3.8887 .68909 -1.149 .139 1.174 .276
BR 309 3.00 5.00 4.4817 .37871 -1.319 .139 1.859 .276
Valid N
309
(listwise)

SMIA=Social Media Influencer Attractiveness, SMIC=Social Media Influencer Credibility,

SMIPM=Social Media Influencer Product Matchup, PI=Purchase Intention, BR= Brand
Reputation

34
The descriptive statistics helps us in describing the basic characteristics of the data in a study
that may include the min, max, mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis.

According to the collected responses, the maximum value of the variable SMI Attractiveness
is 5, while the minimum value is 1. What this scale depicts is that a score of 5 indicates a strong
agreement with the statement whereas a score of 1 indicates a strong disagreement with the
statement. The mean of SMI Attractiveness responses is 3.96 and the Standard deviation is
0.518. The remaining maximum and minimum, mean and standard deviation values of the rest
of the variables is given in the table 4.2 above.

Furthermore, we also studied the skewness and kurtosis to identify the distribution and
normalcy of data collected using the questionnaires. For the data to be verified as normally
distributed the value of “Skewness” should be between -1 to +1 whereas the value of “Kurtosis”
should be between -3 to +3. From the descriptive statistics we ran, we understood that our data
is normal is symmetric with a normally distributed data. SMI Attractiveness is the only heavy
tailed variable

4.3 Reliability

Table 4.3
Variable Cronbach’s alpha N of Items

SMIA 0.6 6

SMIC 0.6 6

SMIPM 0.6 5

PI 0.7 5

BR 0.6 3

35
The reliability analysis is a crucial aspect in any research as it indicates the overall consistency
and reliability of the constructs and number of items asked in the survey. To measure the extent
of the reliability, a reliability analysis is conducted through which we get to know the
Cronbach’s alpha value. For the variable to be reliable, the Cronbach’s alpha value should be
greater than 0.7, which means that our data is reliable and consistent (Henseler, Ringle, &
Sarstedt, 2012).

From the table above we can see that in our reliability analysis, Cronbach’s alpha values which
are in the range of 0.6-0.8 and are considered as moderate and acceptable instruments (Daud,
Khidzir, Ismail, & Abdullah, 2018). Further, we can observe that our mediator “Brand
Reputation” has the Cronbach alpha value of 0.582, which is in the unreliable range. However,
as it is closer to the accepted range with only 3 items for this construct, we can use this as a
reliable variable. A total of 25 items were asked in the questionnaire, with 6 items for “SMI
Attractiveness” which had a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.615, 6 items for “SMI Credibility”
which had a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.617, 5 items for “SMI Product Matchup” which had
a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.687, 5 items for “purchase intention” which had a Cronbach’s
alpha value of 0.707 and 3 items for “brand reputation” which had a Cronbach’s alpha value
of 0.582.

4.4 One Way Anova

Table 4.4
Source of Variation F-Statistics P-Value
Gender 0.804 0.689
Age 1.585 0.067
PI= Purchase intention

In order to compare the mean scores of more than two groups, analysis of variance (ANOVA)
is utilized. One independent variable (also known as a factor) with several levels is used in a
one-way analysis of variance (groups or conditions). Continuous data make up the dependent
variable. Demographics like age and gender are analyzed as control variables. The results
obtained from One-way Anova in the table below shows that there is a significant role of
demographics in our research. We also observe that between the groups, F-score is closer to 1,
which means that the samples do come from a population with equal variances. The

36
significance value is also of importance here as it answers the question whether if there are
significant differences across the groups and for this the Sig. value would have to be less than
0.05. In our case we observe that there aren’t any significant differences across the groups.

4.5 Co-relation

Table 4.5
SMIA SMIC SMIPM PI BR

SMIA Pearson 1
Correlation
SMIC Pearson .644** 1
Correlation
SMIPM Pearson .574** .606** 1
Correlation
PI Pearson .564** .593** .704** 1
Correlation
BR Pearson .377** .330** .280** .229** 1
Correlation
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Pearson’s correlation is a statistical test that determines whether or not two variables are
connected, as well as how closely and strongly these two variables are linked. This also
demonstrates the development of positive and negative relationships between the variables.
When a correlation test was performed between the variables in this study, the following
findings were obtained, as given in the above table 4.5. Here it is important to note that
correlation does not imply causation.

The correlation coefficient is the estimation of correlation ranging from -1 to +1 with a -1

indicating a perfectly negative correlation coefficient and a +1 indicating a perfectly positive
relationship. If the Pearson’s correlation coefficient is at a value closer to +1, then this means
that those variables have closer positive relation and, by the same token, if the coefficient is
lower it shows that those variables are inversely related and have disproportionate relations
with each other. When there’s an instance of 0 correlation coefficient, it indicates that there is
no relation between the variables in question. A 0 would mean that there is dubiousness within
the data and therefore, depicting a more fragile/unfortunate correlation than those with values

37
closer to -1 or +1. And also, by definition, any variable correlated with itself has a correlation
of 1.

According to our findings, the Pearson correlation test reveals a substantial link between all
five variables. We observe that SMI Attractiveness and SMI Credibility have a positive and
significant relationship with a correlation coefficient of 0.644. This shows that the influencer’s
attractiveness plays a significant role on the credibility of the influencer as they both go hand
in hand with each other. Similarly, when we observe the correlation coefficient of SMI Product
Matchup with SMI Attractiveness and SMI Credibility, we see a positive moderate correlation
with a correlation coefficient of 0.574 and 0.606. Further, when we observe the Purchase
Intention with all three traits of a social media influencer, we see a positive relationship with
all correlation coefficients having a value greater than 0.55. However, when the correlation
coefficients of Brand reputation as a mediator is observed with the three traits of a social media
influencer along with Purchase Intention, we notice that there is a decrease in the values of
correlation coefficients. This means that there is a low degree of correlation with brand
reputation acting as a mediator in between social media influencer’s traits and purchase
intentions.

4.6 Regression

An essential statistical method for determining the link between several variables is regression
analysis. We can use regression analysis to see how our five chosen variables are related.
Although there are many distinct kinds of regression analysis, but they all fundamentally work
to discover and quantify the influence of one or more independent variables on one or more
dependent variables. This analysis gives us a detailed knowledge of the traits of the variables
that are being monitored, which in turn strengthens this investigation. This study is also very
useful because it determines which variables have an effect on the issue of interest. Regression
analysis helped in this research to identify which aspects were more crucial, which variables
might be disregarded, and how these variables interacted. Below is a discussion about the
findings of this research to comprehend the regression model.

38
 Table 4.6.1 – Model summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate

1 .737a .543 .538 .46826

a. Predictors: (Constant), SMIPM, SMIA, SMIC

In the above table 4.6.1 we can observe that the adjusted R square value shows that our selected
independent variables Social Media Influencer Attractiveness, Social Media Influencer Product
Matchup and Social Media Influencer Credibility explain a 54.3 percent variation in the
dependent variable – Purchase Intention. The P significant values in our regression analysis are
below which are P<0.05, depicting a highly significant result.

Table 4.6.2 – Coefficients

Standardized
Model Unstandardized Coefficients
Coefficients t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
(Constant) .299 .218 1.376 .170
SMIA .218 .067 .164 3.273 .001
1
SMIC .169 .062 .146 2.732 .007
SMIPM .529 .050 .530 10.589 .000
a. Dependent Variable: PI

In the table 4.6.2 we can observe that the slope of SMI Attractiveness is 0.218, the slope of SMI
Credibility is 0.169 and the slope of SMI Product Matchup is 0.529. This means that with every one-
unit change in the different traits of a social media influencer there will be a β unit change in the
dependent variable – purchase intention. We have also arrived to the conclusion that we will accept the
first three hypothesis (H1; H2; H3) and reject the null hypothesis because our p-values for all three
independent variables are less than 0.05. This means that all three social media influencer traits
(Attractiveness, Credibility, Product Matchup) have a positive and direct effect on the purchase
intention. The t-values achieved in the regression analysis support the above statement that we reject
the null hypothesis and accept the alternate hypothesis (H1; H2: H3) which states there’s a positive and
significant relationship between the three traits of a social media influencer with purchase intention.
The β value for SMI Product Matchup is the highest, which points to the direction that there is a greater
change in purchase intent with respect to the increment of a product match with the influencer. This

39
could be due the psyche of the customer that he/she relates more to an influencer when the influencer
matches with the product that he/she is endorsing.

4.7 Mediation Analysis

The mediation analysis model was created with the intention of observing and analyzing the
process and relationships between the variables. The objective of this model is to track the
relationship between an independent variable (X) and a dependent variable (Y). A third
variable, known as the mediating variable, is also involved in this. Researchers can also benefit
from this test by examining how the independent variable affects the mediating variable, which
then affects the dependent variable. Additionally, this model aids in examining the role of the
mediating variable and the direct causal relationship between the independent and dependent
variables.

The dependent variable, which is purchase intentions, and the independent variable, which are
the three characteristics of a social media influencer, are related in a way that can be explained
by the mediating variable which in this study is brand reputation. In the model shown below,
the direct effect quantifies how much the dependent variable changes when the independent
variable is increased by one unit without changing the mediating variable. The mediating
variable varies by the amount it would have changed had the independent variable been
increased by one unit, but the indirect effect measures how much the dependent variable
changes when the independent variable is held constant. Additionally, it is clear that in linear
systems the total effect is the sum of the direct and indirect effects, whereas in non-linear
models it frequently combines the direct and indirect effects. This helps to distinguish between
linear systems and non-linear systems. The Andrew Hayes Process – model 4 was used in SPSS
to establish the mediating variable's function.

Table 4.7.1 – Mediation Analysis

Hypotheses
Beta SE t-Value P-Value LLCI ULCI
Path a
Social Media Influencers’
Attractiveness on Brand
Reputation (H4a)
0.0423 0.0417 1.0127 0.0000 -0.0399 0.1244
Social Media Influencers’
Credibility on Brand
Reputation (H5a)
0.2065 0.0387 5.3375 0.0000 0.1304 0.2827

40
Social Media Influencers’
Product Matchup on Brand
Reputation (H6a)
0.1907 0.313 6.1028 0.0000 0.1292 0.2522

Direct Effect - Path c'

Social Media Influencer's
Attractiveness on Purchase
Intention (H1)
0.2158 0.0669 3.2248 0.0140 0.0841 0.3475
Social Media Influencer's
Credibility on Purchase
Intention (H2)
0.1561 0.0648 2.4096 0.0166 0.0286 0.2836
Social Media Influencer's
Product Matchup on Purchase
Intention (H3)
0.5175 0.0530 9.7610 0.0000 0.4131 0.6218
Brand Reputation on Purchase
Intention (H7) (Path b)
0.0629 0.0917 0.6856 0.4935 -0.1176 0.2433

Total Effect Model - Path c

Social Media Influencer's
Attractiveness on Purchase
Intention (H4b)
0.2185 0.0668 3.2728 0.0120 0.0871 0.3499
Social Media Influencer's
Credibility on Purchase
Intention (H5b)
0.1691 0.619 2.7315 0.067 0.0473 0.2909
Social Media Influencer's
Product Matchup on Purchase
Intention (H6b)
0.5295 0.05 10.5886 0.0000 0.4311 0.6278

Total, Direct and Indirect Effects of X on Y

Total Effect of X on Y → (c=c’+a*b)
Effects se t-Value P-Value LLCI ULCI
0.2185 0.6680 3.2728 0.0012 0.8710 0.3499
Direct Effect of X on Y → (c’)
Effects se t-Value P-Value LLCI ULCI
0.2158 0.0669 3.2248 0.0014 0.0841 0.3475

41
 Indirect Effect → (a*b)
Effects BootSE Boot LLCI Boot ULCI
BR 0.0027 0.0081 -0.0113 0.0231
Note*
❖ N = 309
❖ 95% level of confidence for all confidence intervals in output
❖ Number of bootstrap samples for percentile bootstrap confidence intervals = 5,000
❖ LLCI = Lower Limit of Confidence Interval, ULCI = Upper Limit of Confidence Interval

With the help of the above mediation analysis, we observe that the mediator – brand reputation,
has an insignificant role on the purchase intentions. This could be because the respondent or
the social media user in our case is not affected by the brand reputation if the social media
influencer is found to be attractive, credible and has a product match with the endorsed brand.
In table 4.7.1, the path a is observed which checks the relationship between our independent
variable – Social media influencer traits, and mediator – Brand Reputation. Here the tests
indicate that the attractiveness of an influencer has an insignificant effect on the brand
reputation(H4a) (β = 0.0423, t=1.0127, p < 0.05, LLCI=-0.0399, ULCI=0.1244). Further,
through the path a we observe that the credibility and product matchup of an influencer (H5a,
H6a) has a direct and positive impact on the brand reputation (H5a - β = 0.2065, t=5.3375, p <
0.05, LLCI=0.1304, ULCI=0.2827) (H6a - β = 0.1907, t=61028, p < 0.05, LLCI=0.1292,
ULCI=0.2522).

Moreover, when we observe the Direct effect – Patch c’ we have observed that all three social
media influencer’s traits have a direct and positive impact on the purchase intentions
(H1;H2;H3), because the test results indicate a positive impact (H1 - β = 0.2158, t=3.2248, p <
0.05, LLCI=0.0841, ULCI=0.3475), (H2 - β = 0.1561, t=2.4096, p < 0.05, LLCI=0.0286,
ULCI=0.2836). As stated earlier in this paragraph, through our tests we observed that there is
no significant relationship between the brand reputation and the purchase intention (H7 – path
b) and our test values validate this finding (H7 - β = 0.0629, t=0.6856, p > 0.05, LLCI=-0.1776,
ULCI=0.2433). Furthermore, Total Effect model – path c, which tells us about the total effect
of the independent variable on dependent variable with the mediating variable present. Here
we observe that all three traits of the social media influencer have a positive impact on the
purchase intention with a slight mediation of brand reputation (H4b - β = 0.2158, t=3.2728, p
< 0.05, LLCI=0.0871, ULCI=0.3499), (H5b - β = 0.1691, t=2.7315, p < 0.05, LLCI=0.0473,
ULCI=0.2909), (H6b - β = 0.5295, t=10.5886, p < 0.05, LLCI=0.4311, ULCI=0.6278). In table

42
4.7.2 we can see the summary of our hypotheses, summarizing which hypotheses were
accepted and which were rejected.

Table 4.7.2 – Summary of Hypotheses Outcomes

No. Statements Results
H1 Attractiveness of a social media influencer positively Supported
influences purchase intentions
H2 Credibility of a social media influencer has a positive Supported
impact on purchase intention
H3 A product matchup with a social media influencer has a Supported
positive impact on purchase intention
H4a Social media influencer’s attractiveness has a positive Not Supported
effect on brand reputation
H4b Brand reputation mediates the relationship between Partial Mediation
attractiveness of a SMI and purchase intention
H5a Social media influencer’s credibility has a positive Supported
effect on brand reputation
H5b Brand reputation mediates the relationship between Supported
credibility of a SMI and purchase intention
H6a Social media influencer’s product matchup has a Supported
positive effect on brand reputation
H6b Brand reputation mediates the relationship between Supported
product matchup of a SMI and purchase intention

H7 Brand reputation has a positive impact on purchase Not Supported

intention

43
4.8 Results

H1: Attractiveness of a social media influencer positively influences purchase intentions

The mediation analysis shows that the value of Beta with respect to SMI’s attractiveness to be
0.2158, which means that one unit increase in value in the independent variable of SMI’s
attractiveness will result in a 0.2158 unit increase in the dependent variable which is purchase
intention. Furthermore, the results depict P< 0.05. Hence, proving that attractiveness of a SMI
has a positive effect on purchase intention.

H2: Credibility of a social media influencer positively influences purchase intentions

The mediation analysis shows that the value of Beta with respect to SMI’s credibility to be
0.1561, which means that one unit increase in value in the independent variable of SMI’s
credibility will result in a 0.1561 unit increase in the dependent variable which is purchase
intention. Furthermore, the results depict P< 0.05. Hence, proving that credibility of a SMI has
a positive effect on purchase intention.

H3: Product Match-up of a social media influencer positively influences purchase intentions
The mediation analysis shows that the value of Beta with respect to SMI’s product match-up
to be 0.5175, which means that one unit increase in value in the independent variable of SMI’s
product match-up will result in a 0.5175 unit increase in the dependent variable which is
purchase intention. Furthermore, the results depict P=0. Hence, proving that product match-up
of a SMI has a positive effect on purchase intention.

H4a: Social media influencer’s attractiveness has a positive effect on brand reputation
The mediation analysis shows that the beta value of SMI’s attractiveness with relation to brand
reputation is 0.0423 which means that one unit increase in the value of the independent variable
of SMI’s attractiveness will result in a 0.0423-unit change in brand reputation. Furthermore,
the lower level of confidence interval is –0.0399 which is negative and the upper-level
confidence interval to be 0.1244 which proposes a negative significance between SMI’s
attractiveness and brand reputation rejecting the hypothesis that SMI’s attractiveness has a
positive effect on brand reputation.

44
H4b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between attractiveness of a SMI and
purchase intention

The mediation analysis shows the beta value of SMI’s attractiveness with relation to the
purchase intention while being mediated by the brand reputation is 0.2185 which means that
the one unit increase in the value SMI’s attractiveness will result in a 0.2185 change in the
purchase intention when brand reputation is acting as the mediator. The lower level of
confidence interval is 0.0871 and upper level of confidence is 0.3499 which indicates that there
is a partial mediation in light of brand reputation mediating the relation between attractiveness
of an SMI and the purchase intentions.

H5a: Social media influencer’s credibility has a positive effect on brand reputation
The mediation analysis shows that the beta value of SMI’s credibility with relation to brand
reputation is 0.2065 which means that one unit increase in the value of the independent variable
of SMI’s credibility will result in a 0.2065 unit change in brand reputation. Moreover, the value
of P=0 signifies the results, and the hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, it is determined that
SMI’s credibility has a positive effect on brand reputation.

H5b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between credibility of a SMI and
purchase intention.

The mediation analysis depicts a Beta value of 0.1691 for the hypothesis brand reputation
mediates the relationship between credibility of a SMI and purchase intention. This means that
for every unit-increase in the credibility of the influencer, there is a 0.1691 unit increase in the
variable of purchase intention. Furthermore, these results are signified as the value of P<0.05,
hence it is proved that credibility of a SMI has a positive impact on purchase intension with
brand reputation mediating this relationship.

H6a: Social media influencer’s product match-up has a positive effect on brand
reputation
The mediation analysis shows that the beta value of SMI’s product match-up with relation to
brand reputation is 0.1907 which means that one unit increase in the value of the independent
variable of SMI’s product match-up will result in a 0.1907 unit change in brand reputation.
Moreover, the value of P=0 signifies the results, and the hypothesis is accepted. Therefore, it
is determined that SMI’s product match-up has a positive effect on brand reputation.

45
H6b: Brand reputation mediates the relationship between product matchup of a SMI and
purchase intention

The mediation analysis shows beta value for the hypothesis brand reputation mediates the
relationship between credibility of a SMI and purchase intention to be 0.5295. This means for
every unit increase in the independent variable of SMI’s product match-up, there is a 0.5295
unit increase in purchase intention with brand reputation acting as a mediator between them.
Furthermore, the results depict P to be less than 0.05, standing at 0. Hence, it is proven that
brand reputation mediates the relationship between product matchup of a SMI and purchase
intention.

H7: Brand Reputation has a positive impact on purchase intention

According to the mediation analysis shows that the value of lower-level confidence interval is
–0.1176 and the value of upper-level confidence interval is 0.2433 this signifies a negative
relationship between brand reputation and purchase intention. Hence, the hypothesis is not
accepted. It can, hence, be concluded that brand reputation does not have a positive impact on
purchase intention.

4.9 Summary of Result

Various tests were run in this chapter, and the findings were then analysed while taking
reliability and significance into account. Regression analysis was the most crucial test
performed because it determined whether or not our hypothesis was correct. It may be
concluded from the summary table above that our findings do not indicate a strong mediation
of brand reputation on the relationship of Social Media Influencer’s traits and purchase
intention. And that an attractiveness of a social media influencer does not have any significance
on the brand reputation and in the mediation relationship

46
Discussion

Chapter 5
5.0 Chapter Introduction

This study investigates the model to understand that influencers’ dimensions (attractiveness, credibility
and product match-up) create an intent to purchase in consumers or not and whether the reputation of
apparel brands strength or weaken that intent. This chapter elaborates on the outcomes of the results
and their analysis. The model is discussed in this research using influencer dimensions which are
attractiveness, credibility, and product match-up. These dimensions can have an effect on consumers'
purchase intentions, which in turn affect the apparel company's brand's reputation.

5.1 Discussion
This study contributes to the field of research by identifying certain dimensions of social media
influencers (attractiveness, credibility and product match-up) and their impact on consumers
purchase intentions with the mediating relationship of brand reputation. Firstly, it is
hypothesized and proven that attractiveness of an SMI has a positive impact on purchase
intention (H1) this is in line with the results of (Ahmed et al., 2020). Influencers, who are
viewed by their audience as attractive, are more likely to shape their followers’ intention to
purchase. Furthermore, attractiveness is considered as a decisive determinant by marketers
when promoting their brands (AlFarraj et al., 2021). Next, credibility of a SMI has a positive
impact on purchase intention (H2) is consistent with the findings of (D.K, 2021) which indicate
that influencer credibility is crucial as a source of knowledge. If consumers believe a social
media influencer is trustworthy, credible, and informed concerning the industry in which they
work, it is then viewed as appealing, and consumers are motivated to purchase what they are
endorsing. Furthermore, the findings of (Kemeç & Yüksel, 2021) also state that social media
influencer’s credibility has a significant impact on consumers' purchase intentions. Thirdly,
product match-up of a social media influencer has a positive on purchase intention (H3)
according to the findings of (Janssen et al., 2021) a crucial factor that influences purchase
intention is the product match-up between the social media influencer and the product they are
promoting. Belanche et al. (2021) further state that if there is good match-up between the
influencer and the product they are advocating it encourages their followers to think about
whether the product matches their ideal self as well. Customers' attitudes and behavioral

47
intentions are activated toward a product that is advertised, resulting in a desire to buy the
promoted product.

Social media influencers attractiveness has a positive impact on brand reputation (H4a) our
study found that attractiveness of a social media influencer has no effect on the reputation of a
brand, which led to the rejection of our hypothesis. This is consistent with the findings of
Eisend and Langner (2010), who found that physical attractiveness by itself has no impact on
a brand's reputation and must be combined with other personal characteristics to produce the
intended outcomes. When choosing influencers to promote their products, marketers should
pay more attention to personality features than just physical attractiveness because personality
factors contribute more to an influencer's image and reputation than physical attractiveness
does (Rifon, Jiang & Kim, 2016). Additionally, according to their study, customers are more
at ease with less attractive personas since they are perceived as being less arrogant and
intelligent. Brand reputation mediates the relation between attractiveness of a social media
influencer and purchase intention (H4b), meaning that if a reputable brand is using an attractive
social media influencer to promote its product, then this will lead to an intent to purchase in
consumers. This resonates with the findings of Zhu et al., (2021) that when well-known and
reputable brands employ good looking influencers for advertising their products consumers are
more likely to purchase them. Given that attractiveness factors may promote consumer loyalty,
it is believed that they will also favorably effect purchase intentions (Masuda et al., 2022).

Further we observed that the credibility of an influencer has a significant impact on the brand
reputation(H5a), which means that the more credible or trustworthy an influencer is the more
impact it will have on the brand reputation. Which is understood that if a known uncredible
influencer is endorsing a reputable brand would mean that the brand has not done enough due
diligence from their end and ended up choosing an uncredible influencer that leads to a decline
in brand reputation (Kahri, 2021). McCornick (2016) further validates our findings that,
consumers respond better to a paid promotion and in turn have greater perceptions of brand
reputation when the influencer is credible and is known as a trustworthy endorser. In research,
it is noted that the credible influencers are known to give an honest opinion which isn’t always
the case, as brands can influence the integrity of the review through paid promotions where the
influencers are bound to leave a positive review even when the product is of sub-par quality
(Troot 2019). Moreover, the mediating effect of brand reputation in the relationship between

48
a social media influencer’s credibility and the purchase intentions is found to be of significant
impact (H5b). This would mean that if a reputable brand is endorsing a clothing line with an
influencer whose credibility is known, would increase the purchase intentions of the consumer.
This is further validated in the research done by AlFarraj et al. (2021) where they conclude that
a credible influencer has a strong impact on the purchase intentions as the social media user is
more captivated by the credibility of the influencer. The feeling that the social media influencer
is honest and will not guide his followers to a bad product is most prevalent in our research as
well as the one conducted by AlFarraj et al. (2021). Moving on to the relationship between product
matchup of an influencer with the purchase intentions (H6a), we conclude that a good product fit
between the brand/clothing artifact has a positive impact on the intent to purchase. The study by Afifah
(2022) further validates our findings that a good fit between the product and the influencer is
of importance when a social media user is browsing a brand page or viewing the reviews of an
influencer. This is due to the fact that the social media user wishes to see the influencer
matching with the apparel brand that he/she is endorsing, because, if there is an unfit between
the two, the social media user is not pulled towards the promotion. By extension, we also
observe that when brand reputation is mediating the relationship between the product matchup
of a social media influencer and the purchase intentions there is a significant of the product fit
of the influencer on the intent to purchase(H6b). Currently there are no studies as of yet that
validate our findings for this hypothesis as the mediating role of brand reputation is the research
gap that was targeted in this research. Furthermore, we arrive to the last hypotheses of this
study which is the direct impact of brand reputation on purchase intention (H7). Our result and
analysis indicate that there is no impact of brand reputation on the intent to purchase. Although
from a bystander perspective, one perceives that a reputation of a brand would impact the
purchase intentions and even some previous researches point to this direction as well. However,
a study by Rusmewahni, R. (2022) which is also in line with our results, found that brand
reputation has a weak impact on the purchase intentions. This could be due to the fact that the
social media user is interacting with a lot of brands that are upcoming or new brands which do
not have a large footprint as compared to the mega clothing brands. Meaning that if an apparel
brand selects the right influencer to endorse their brand, the brand reputation would hold no
significance as a major factor of the intent to purchase is dependent upon the three traits of a
social media influencer (attractiveness, credibility and product matchup) which have been
studied in this research. This finding is further corroborated by Tran (2020), where they identify
that brand reputation does not solely effect the purchase intentions as most online stores of any brand

49
make good first impressions through the right selection of social media influencers and attractive deals
which inclines the consumer to make that purchase.

5.2 Chapter Summary

The conclusions and outcomes of the hypotheses were thoroughly stated. Similarly, the
findings were explored by contrasting them with related literature. The findings of this study
demonstrated a favorable and significant relationship between an influencer's attractiveness,
credibility, and product matchup with purchase intentions. A weak association between an
influencer's attractiveness and purchase intentions was also seen when brand reputation served
as a mediator. We also came to the conclusion that the brand reputation has little bearing on
consumers' purchase intents. To clearly explain the effects and correlations between these
variables, past research findings were used to support these results.

50
Chapter 6
Implications and Limitations
6.1 Chapter Introduction
In this chapter, theoretical implications, managerial implications, future direction and the limitations of
the study will be discussed.

6.2 Theoretical Implications

This study is the first to conduct research on different dimensions of social media influencers
and to envelope the effect of these dimensions on consumers’ purchase intention. There have
been numerous studies conducted in the past that investigated social media influencers'
personalities, how they persuade customers to purchase a particular brand's product, or simply
how they focus on communicating a lifestyle to consumers. However, in our research we have
kept the focus on the apparel industry and how different dimensions of social media influencers
create an intent of purchase. The dimensions we have discussed are attractiveness, credibility
and product match-up.

This study has worked to make a significant contribution to the field of digital and influencer
marketing literature. A conceptual and reflective model that depicts the mediating effects of
brand reputation, which stimulates interest in a social media influencer's content related to a
specific apparel brand, along with their dimension of credibility creates trust in the influencer,
and all of these factoring relationships in return affect the relationship between a social media
influencer and a consumer's purchase intention.

The findings of this study imply that consumers who purchase from apparel brands and follow
social media influencers are affected by influencers' dimensions who create content for apparel
brands. They are more likely to buy from apparel brands If they think the influencer is
attractive, credible, and that there is a good match between the influencer and the apparel brand
they are promoting. This is a crucial component of our research because many studies focus on
consumer behavior in general; however, in our study, we examined if influencer endorsement
strengthens the apparel brand's reputation and whether it has any impact on customers' purchase
intentions.

51
Furthermore, social media influencers as well as consumers can greatly benefit from the study's
conclusions. This study demonstrates how customers follow social media influencers and
engage in the content they are creating and posting and trust them too. Influencers will be able
to connect with their viewers and followers on a more personal level, increasing the number of
people who are interested in an apparel brand after seeing their endorsement. Additionally, it
might help them produce more useful content for their followers, improving their sphere of
influence and developing a connection with them.

Through the research of Pinto and Paramita. And by conducting more research we have
concluded that no similar study has been conducted on this specific topic and the previously
identified areas. In order to better prepare those who want to work as influencers in the future
and for those apparel brands who want to use influencer marketing for the sale of their products.
The goal is to increase academic knowledge of research in the area of digital marketing.

6.3 Managerial Implications

While discussing managerial implications, this study offers helpful insights for marketing
executives and managers in terms of its practical ramifications. According to the results of the
current study, SMIs have a significant and positive impact on customers' purchase intentions
to buy from apparel brands. In this situation, marketing managers and executives from the
apparel industry should keep these two aspects in mind when developing their marketing
strategy, as this will help them achieve the greatest possible customer interaction on social
media platforms, improving their brand equity.

Marketers could use SMIs to capture their desired audience. Since consumers who are more
interested and involved have more opportunities to interact with their preferred apparel brands
on social media. By generating and utilizing social media material like vlogs, reels and stories.
SMIs can assist in accelerating consumer interaction. Customers who view social media
influencers as essential elements of their daily life are most likely inclined to communicate or
engage with apparel brands on social media platforms. It is important for brand managers to
provide their customers a sense of brand recognition since this encourages positive word-of-
mouth marketing and encourages them to learn more about your product through influencers.
As a result, this may be one of the primary reasons businesses use social media influencers to
sell their products. This is due to the fact that when a product's characteristics are paired with
the characteristics of a certain influencer, the product's worth in the eyes of the consumer

52
grows, creating urgency for the need for the product. The majority of social media influencers
have a polished online persona, which promotes customer engagement and boosts an
organization's sales and profit. Additionally, many followers of influencers prefer to embrace
their ideals. For instance, the influencer's voice, manner of speaking, and appearance can all
serve as attractive factors for potential customers. This just serves to demonstrate the extent to
which some social media personalities can sway public opinion in favor of their products.
Marketers can reach millions of potential customers with the help of influencer marketing,
which involves partnering with influencers whose niche complements their products or
services. Promotional and advertising techniques that are overwhelming are simply an obsolete
concept for brands. Advertising with influencers who can skillfully incorporate brand
campaigns into their expression and style is growing more advanced. Influencers help the target
audience, who is frequently bombarded with a barrage of commercial commercials every day,
feel more connected to and engaged.

When an influencer promotes products or services or mentions specific brands, it helps brands
become more visible. This not only broadens their market scope but also increases brand
recognition. Influencers are experts in their field, and their followers respect them and are
greatly influenced by them. They have developed a positive and respectful rapport with their
audience. People therefore trust their advice and suggestions. Apparel brands who use
influencer marketing campaigns will not feel like they are advertising in a traditional manner
after using this strategy, individuals will be more responsive to a brand than usual.

6.4 Limitations and Future Research

Despite the various contributions this study has made, there are still many limitations. The first
is that Pakistan is the sole focus of this study. The sample size was made up of people who
resided in various Pakistani cities, therefore it might not be applicable worldwide. In order to
acquire a wider perspective for future research, participants may be selected from outside
Pakistan. Although there are many social media influencers in Pakistan, they are still quite new
t; as a result, influencers from other countries who have more followers and are more
experienced may have a greater impact.

Additionally, the aim of our study was to determine the impact of Social Media Influencers'
dimensions on purchase intentions and whether or not they strengthen the reputation of apparel

53
brands. Although the phrase "apparel brand" was used in its entirety and was considered
pertinent for the current study, future research may concentrate on a particular apparel brand.
The use of social media influencers as a group is also made in this study, specific influencers
or platforms were not mentioned. In any future studies, Influencers may be linked to a certain
platform, such as Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or Tik Tok

Only using cross-sectional data limits the ability to show customer reactions over time because
the data is only taken at one moment in time, which leads to a lack of precise results regarding
cause and effect. By using longitudinal data and a cross-lagged analysis, we may better
understand the cause-and-effect relationship between components and, as a result, better
understand the elements that influence a person's willingness to purchase from an apparel
brand. As a result, this can be avoided in future study. In addition, as the majority of the
participants in our sample size currently fall into the 18 to 35+ age range, it is possible to
employ a specific age range beyond that in the future.

Lastly, since there are no moderators in this study, moderators may be added in the future.
Word of mouth and brand love can be employed as moderators, while preceding variables like
brand image, online advertising, and eWOM can also be used. Additionally, although though
credibility was employed as an independent variable in this study, future research can use other
variables like emotional attachment or para-social interaction (PSI) to further authenticate the
findings and provide even more significant results.

54
6.5 Conclusion
The present study indicates the effect of social media influencer’s dimensions on the purchase
intentions of consumers related to apparel brands and whether these dimensions are having an
impact on the apparel brands reputation. Social media influencers have three dimensions which
include attractiveness, credibility and product match-up. The model of the study is the
adaptation of the model proposed Pimento and Paramita in 2021. Further the analysis backs
the hypothesis indicating that influencer dimensions have positive impact on a customer’s
purchase intensions. But the association and relationship of influencer dimensions with brand
reputation could not be proved and brand reputation does not have a positive impact on
purchase intention. In the end, the research demonstrates its better understanding of the
different dimensions of social media influencers and how these dimensions can be used to
successfully in endorse apparel brands to consumers and motivate them to purchase apparel
products or to create purchase intensions in consumers. Moreover, if marketing executives
realize the importance and the influence SMI’s have over their audience they can not only
create a more positive image for their apparel brand but can also capture more market share.

55
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Appendix 1 – Questionnaire

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Appendix 2 – Plagiarism Report

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