Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Consumer Buying Behavior and Purchase Intentions in the Mobile Phone Industry: The Mediating Role of Brand Attitude

Abstract

The mobile phone industry depends heavily on celebrity endorsement as its main promotional method because people in developing markets trust celebrities to provide them with reliable and appealing information. The research investigates how different attributes of celebrity endorsements affect Pakistani consumers to buy smartphones while studying brand attitude as the connecting factor between endorsement attributes and consumer purchasing decisions. The research design used quantitative methods to collect data from 350 Smartphone users who answered a standardized survey, which SEM analyzed to produce results. Research findings show that customer purchasing decisions depend heavily on how trustworthy celebrities appear while also considering their expertise, their attractive appearance, and their ability to match with the brand. The research shows that brand attitude functions as a partial link that connects celebrity endorsement characteristics to purchase intention through consumer brand assessment. The research takes place in a marketing environment that uses technology and AI, but it examines AI tools through theoretical analysis instead of conducting experimental testing. The findings contribute to celebrity endorsement and consumer behavior literature in emerging markets and offer practical insights for marketers in the competitive Smartphone industry.