Abstract:

This study investigates the impact of Instagram influencer marketing on consumers' purchase intentions and electronic word of mouth (eWOM), with celebrity endorsement mediating. The study utilized an online questionnaire with 318 respondents on a social media platform, employing structural equation modelling to examine direct and indirect relationships between the constructs. The research focused on Pakistani social media sites and tested seven hypotheses. The study found a positive relationship between Instagram influencer marketing and purchase intention, eWOM, with celebrity endorsement as a significant positive mediator. The study contributes to the existing literature on marketing through influencers by examining the impact of influencer marketing on various constructs, such as customer purchase intention, endorser credibility, and eWOM. The study sheds light on how influencers generate eWOM through the mediating effect of celebrity endorsement, a topic that has received limited attention in previous studies

Key Words:

Influencer Marketing, Purchase Intention, Celebrity Endorsement, EWOM

JEL Classification:

Introduction

No matter where a person goes, he will find an ad for something on the street walls, on paper, online or outside a store because they are everywhere (Guldvik, 2017; Antunes, 2022). From all the marketing techniques, word of mouth and persons is still the best way to advertise your brand as it has a higher acceptance ratio than others. As per the study, only 14% were paying attention to the advertisements as only they could remember the last advertisement they saw on any social media platform (Masuda et al., 2022). The quality of the information consumers acquire on the Internet is one factor that rationally influences their purchasing decisions in the digital era, which is defined by the rapid diffusion of information. (TC Gamage, 2023; Maylina, 2022) Social platforms have developed as a foremost formula for connecting and communicating. According to a survey in 2015, 2/3 of the population of America uses at least 1 of these sites; this ratio has increased by several 7% from 2005 (Perrin, 2015). The acceptance of such sites is visible as at least one of the youngsters uses at least one account daily (Ting, 2015). Previous research has demonstrated how social media WOM and the significant increase in social media users actively spreading WOM by posting reviews of the goods and services they have used on their accounts have positively and significantly influenced purchase intention. (Maylina, 2022; Alrwashdeh, 2020; Q Xie, 2023).

In the last few years, as many technologies have been introduced, firstly, these sites were taken as a source of communication as the users can share their info with other users. In spite, many firms believe in using such sites to promote products (Li et al., 2019). Lately, brands have revealed the comprehensive impression and rapid evolution in the potential of associations with SMIs (Social et al.) to endorse their brands as members share their data about their routine and have a link with everyone else following, an unseen virtual relationship between the followers and influencers thus having high chances of trusting members more on such sites (Phua, 2016; Unnava, 2021). SMIs are considered the sign reliable influencers and tastemakers for at least one or more markets (Marijke et al., 2017). These influencers are expected to be taken as highly trustworthy electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) than paid publicity on other platforms as they are effortlessly placed into the regular descriptions posted through the influencers (Veirman, 2017). 75% of the firms preferred these marketing tactics by 2015, which will grow to 26% more by 2021 (Augure, 2022). The foremost challenge for brand promoters is to identify and choose tastemakers with a considerable number of followers and strong influencing power over them so they can follow the trends from their posts and the information they provide (Pophal, 2016; Tuška, 2019). 

Promotions from influencers is a familiar terminology in the world, as it was in the early 2010s. Still, it needs many gaps to be bridged. Many researchers have completed their studies in this field and got significantly positive results. Studies prove that SMIs are more trustworthy, with more than an 80% chance of being copied by their followers (Berger, 2016). In another study, the impact of influencers and its results were studied, and the outcomes were in support of this technique which also shows an increase of 11% in investment in the fields endorsed by the influencers (Tapinfluence & Nielsen, 2016). Instagram is the platform most trusted for online shopping, along with the label of a most reliable marketing tool (Moatti, 2018; Michael Adiwijaya, 2020). 1/3rd of the fashion market advocates that C.E. (creditability endorsement) on social platforms does not promote their products. Thus, they must take Instagram as a significant site to promote their products (Ipsos, 2018). To certify the attractiveness and efficiency of industries towards SMPs (Social et al.), researchers try to explore the reason by thoroughly studying the principles of C.E. Not every research gave the same results; some of them concluded C.E. on Instagram also significantly decreases the brand's image (De Veirman, 2017; Phua et al., 2018) and added significantly, the image of personalities can suppress the image of the brand (Wahloonluck, 2013; Fong, 2014)

Many studies have focused on sharing information related to the brands on social platforms with followers. Instagram is one site that has been extensively used in promoting brands introduced in 2010 (Ting et al., 2015). Users can invest their time on Instagram (Instagram) to have data about the daily routine of others, the critical events of their lives, to share their moments with others and to show them some of their essential communications (R.vidya, 2023) as Instagram Users are growing with an increasing ratio of 83% in 2023 (M.K. Beheshti, 2023). Studies have proved a gap between the number of members on Instagram for daily use and the other sites (Ting et al., 2015). Specifically, daily users on Instagram have yet to have solid interaction with SMS (Michael et al., 2017). This leaves a gap that will be revealed to study the efficiency of advertising on Instagram and whether it contrasts with the promotion on other SMS. Instagram influencer marketing has grown in popularity for brands to engage with their target audience and boost brand recognition, credibility, and engagement. Although celebrity endorsement has been found to affect customer purchase intention significantly, this Relationship is frequently mediated by additional factors such as brand attitude and credibility (Barta, 2023).

The research will donate the literature on consumer behaviour and what can influence them and their purchasing habits. C.E. and eWOM affect P.I. significantly, along with IIM. This study contributes to theories like communication theory and the theory of reasoned action. This will help the policymakers to adopt effective policies regarding the promotion of their products. This paper aims to illustrate the effect of influencers on people and how brands can use this tool to have a helpful marketing strategy.




Literature Review Instagram Influencing Marketing (IIM)

Influencers are content creators with an extensive base of followers who interact with them on social media platforms by sharing insights into their daily lives, their experiences with products and businesses, and their thoughts on life events or campaigns using social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram (Lou, 2019). Customers can enjoy content while changing their attitudes and behaviours with this product type (Ardley, 2022). With the help of an underlying study and a virtual point of view, influencers and bloggers can be interlinked. Bloggers also became a category of influencers by generating diverse content and exhibiting it through SMS. Such influencers have a tremendous following on their IDs on SMS or blogs. Creating massive traffic on their IDs, they quickly move their fans or followers to different SMS. One of the most significant platforms is Instagram Which is the primary and most trendy site for brands for marketing and influencing purposes. They spread awareness and information about their brands by running many campaigns through these platforms.

The most effective usage of Instagram as a marketing tool is "Influencer Marketing'' (I.M.). Promotion by the brand or company is central in this regard. IIM is used to examine the endorsement (Masuda et al., 2022). It positively responds to people's perceptions and thinking (Pop, 2022). Reliability and trust are two essential features describing social influencer marketing. Trustworthiness and expertise are two elements that are discussed within source credibility. The information from linked sources has influenced customers' trust, ideas, and points of view. (Wang et al. 2017; Masuda H. H., 2022) Emphasized both purchase Instagram intention and attitude. Endorsers' pride depends on belief, honesty and trustworthiness (Masuda, 2022). Metzger, in 2003, emphasized trust and belief that sincere one has expertise according to the customer's intentions. Comparatively, Instagram's intentions, based on truth and honesty, are the most viewed advertisement on social media, which significantly impacts influencers. 

Purchase Intention

Purchase intention is a consumer's subjective willingness to pay for a product or service (Jie Li, 2022). It is the possibility of a consumer purchasing a product or service from a particular company (Verfacto, 2022). Purchase intention is a conscious effort by customers to select products or services, which can be formed when the impression or attitude sent to consumers fits their expectations. Purchase intention can accurately predict purchase behaviour. Marketing managers use purchase intention to decide about existing and new services and goods (Battha, 2022). Purchase intent can be used to measure and apply marketing performance.

eWOM

Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) is when consumers share information online about a product or company via the Internet, social media, and mobile communication (Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) - Communication., 2021). It includes positive or negative statements by potential, current, or past customers, accessible to many. eWOM is crucial in online settings, impacting behaviours like purchase intention, product assessment, and brand loyalty. It is influential due to easy online conversation generation and affects brand credibility and reputation due to its broad reach (L. Yang, 2017). Studies show that eWOM significantly affects consumer behaviour, particularly purchase intention, with a positive impact. Marketers should comprehend and strategize eWOM's impact for effective consumer behaviour management and brand leverage (Rani, 2022).

Impact of Instagram Influencer Marketing on Purchase Intention and EWOM

In underlying research, P.I. is the second leading factor. Hence we are required to dig more profound into the hypothesis behind it. Analysts have proposed a relationship of dependence between buying P.I. and attitude, even though it needs to be appropriately built up. (Janssen, 2022) (Garg, 2018) suggests that this Relationship is vital as attitude measurements are meaningless and vague without it. Next, several models have been created in order to explain the Relationship, whereas Ajzen and Fishbein's theory of reasoned action (TRA) (1980) and Fazio's process model (1989) are well known (Garg, 2018). Because of this Relationship, the following chapters will explain 25 intentions to address P.I.s and compare models upon purchase. Fazio's demonstration received some support, but the TRA show has been respected as solid concerning marketing and marketing decisions. (Garg, 2018) Consequently, the TRA model will be focused on. We will begin with the basics and go through attitudes. Taking after a presentation of P.I. will be given, finishing with a few understandings of attitude models. Then, an elaboration of the writing almost attitude towards the promotion will be presented since this may impact the attitude towards the brand and P.I.s.

P.I. can be defined as cognitive actions concerning the desire to do so. Chakraborty's (2022) study used the model described by Spears and Singh (2004) about P.I. Consumer Purchase choices are a dynamic process, and P.I.s is a segment of this process. (Tan, 2022) suggests that customers' interpretation of purchasing intentions is of particular importance since it relates to the actions, interpretation and attitudes of customers and can, Therefore, be used to forecast the purchasing process. In addition, (Chakraborty, 2022) claims the customer's choice. The process consists of five stages: the need for acceptance, the quest for knowledge, the assessment of Alternatives, purchasing decisions and post-purchase behaviour. Consumers will find that they need a product or service. They can look for information both from previous knowledge and from external sources. Consumers can assess the possible options and form an opinion towards them. Consumers often use cautious estimates and rational thinking and shop spontaneously. Consumers will purchase the most preferred brand, but the behaviours and situational considerations of others will affect purchases. Preferences and buying preferences do not necessarily result in accurate purchasing decisions. Consumers will analyze purchases and determine whether they will make more purchases in the future if they quit. From this, we may conclude that preferences and buying plans are directly associated. Several scholars have attempted to investigate the association between behaviours and purchase intentions (Kilipiri, 2023). 

Literature has publicised that SMS followers are inactive receivers of advertising communications and vigorously make sense of the brand image with other users (Melnyk, 2022; Geurin, 2017; Lim, 2022). SMS permits followers to increase brand cognizance, stimulate the brand's image and narrate their likings for brands. These sites can be a cause of social inspiration as followers may depend on the insight and findings of others in customer intention for purchase (Ruiz-Mafe, 2018). While researchers investigating the influence on the decision of a customer precisely on SMS are relatively less in number, it is proved that society can influence consumer's behaviour during these stages, which includes the awareness of quality and P.I. (Chew, 2014; Djafarova, 2017; Duffett, 2015; Phua, 2016). (Bogollu, 2023) investigated the impact of celebrity endorsements on attitudes and purchasing intent. According to the study, celebrity endorsements benefit brand sentiments, which can increase purchase intent. (Prasad, 2023) conducted a study that examined the effectiveness of influencer marketing and celebrity endorsements on changing consumer behavioural intentions.

According to the study, influencer endorsers are seen as more credible than celebrity endorsers, which can increase purchase intention. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) refers to the sharing and exchange of information about a product or company by consumers via the Internet, social media, and mobile communication (Rani et al. of Mouth (eWOM) Strategies to Manage Innovation and Digital Business Model, 2019). Wolny and Muller (2013) contend that eWOM incorporates non-literary correspondence, for example, "preferring" or "re-tweeting", just as some remarks. They see eWOM from a more extensive viewpoint and do not restrict eWOM to just the statements (Ishida & Siamionava, 2016) mentioned (Jin & Phua, 2014) show that online media is a fundamental need for organizations' development. However, (Quan-Haase, 2022) show a comprehension of the meaning of online media among organizations. SMS is the best stage for eWOM because, as referenced beforehand, it permits customers to respond positively or negatively to brands' products and services. The utmost centre of attention of WOM is the influential consumers. The main priority of marketing strategy is to find people who are more influential and have excellent activity status on various social sites. (Razi, 2022) There are many strategies for online marketing, but I.M. is capturing the highest impact and is more beneficial nowadays. The users can find much information regarding marketing and more effective ways of interacting and reaching people all around. Gladwell had already explained in the theory of word-of-mouth the effectiveness of leadership in early 2000. A study published (Elayat, 2023) looked at the association between eWOM and Purchase Intention (P.I.) and the moderating influence of culture among university students in Pakistan. From the above discussion, the hypothesis can be concluded.

H1: There is a significant positive relationship between IIM and P.I.

H2: There is a significant positive relationship between IIM and eWOM

Celebrity Endorsement as Mediator

Although celebrity endorsement can mediate between influencer marketing and purchase intent, the Relationship is nuanced and multifaceted. According to research, one's attitude towards the endorsement can mediate celebrity source's and endorsement's impacts on purchase intent (Bergkvist, 2023). Compared to celebrity endorsements, influencer endorsements can lead to a higher attitude towards the ad, attitude towards the product, and purchase intention (Schouten, 2019). A study published in (Obaidullah, 2021) investigates the association between eWOM and purchasing intent, with culture acting as a moderator. According to the study, eWOM has significant positive effects on purchase intention. In 2022, (Rahaman, 2022) researched the Relationship between electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) information and the intention to purchase on social media platforms. The Influence-Acceptance Model (IAM) and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theories were used in this inquiry.

The study's findings revealed that information disseminated through eWOM has a substantial impact on the decisions of online shoppers when it comes to choosing the products they intend to buy. An I.A. study conducted by Diva-Portal (2022) investigates the influence of Instagram influencers on consumers consumers' intentions to purchase perfume mediated by celebrity endorsement. According to the study, celebrity endorsement is a significant mediator for improving brand views and increasing purchase intent, which can lead to positive eWOM. The role of celebrity endorsement as a mediator between influencer marketing and purchase intention is influenced by various factors such as brand attitude, credibility, and likeability of the endorser (Adam, 2018) (Vidyanata, 2018). (Granroth, 2023) conducts a literature analysis on prior studies on celebrity endorsements and social media influencer marketing. According to the review, celebrity endorsements can improve business image and sales, and the efficiency of influencer marketing is determined by factors such as follower count and social media platforms. A study (Herrando, 2022) examines the effects of influencer posts on Instagram users. The study found that influencer endorsement posts positively impact advertising attitudes and purchase intentions. The study sought to determine the association between eWOM and purchasing intent while considering cultural considerations. (Rourke, 2023) investigated the association between eWOM and purchase intention among university students in Pakistan, with the moderating influence of culture. According to the findings, C.E. plays an important mediating function between influencer marketing (IIM) and purchase intention and eWOM. (Yatish Joshi, 2023) researched the foundations, trends, and future directions of social media influencer marketing. The study emphasizes the significance of sponsorship transparency in celebrity endorsement and among social media influencers, which can affect eWOM. These studies give evidence for C.E.'s important mediating function between IIM and P.I. as well as eWOM, emphasizing the importance of C.E. in increasing the effectiveness of influencer marketing (Farivar, 2023). From the above discussion, it can be interpreted that 

H3: CE is significantly mediating the relationship between IIM and PI.

H4: CE is significantly mediating the relationship between IIM and Ewom



Methodology

The analytical unit of this research is individuals, and a cross-sectional approach is employed. Questionnaires are utilized to gather insights from both experts and other individuals. The research aims to analyze all assumptions related to the results, although it is not part of the final sampling. Convenient non-probability sampling is utilized to conclude.

Population and Sampling

The current study's respondent is a young

social media user from Pakistan. The growing popularity of social media posting has resulted in unanticipated competition among businesses worldwide. Brands have modified their strategy to accommodate this situation, as clients prefer social media marketing over conventional types. The study's goal is to figure out what is causing this issue and come up with viable remedies, with an emphasis on Pakistan's young people. The study employs a selection approach, specifically purposive sampling, to collect information from individuals to target Pakistani adolescents. The study makes use of survey questionnaires that are distributed online. The questionnaire begins with the study's purpose and includes demographic information and survey questions from respondents. 

Instrumentation and Measures

In this study, questionnaires are the primary data-collecting tool used to gain information from young SMS users. The poll includes closed-ended and open-ended questions, all intended to be logical and brief. The questionnaire is divided into two parts: the first contains demographic information, and the second has information regarding the variables of research, which include IIM, P.I., eWOM, and C.E. The study collected data using a 5-point rating scale using questionnaires with pre-established scales. The survey is organized into five sections, each focusing on a different aspect of the variables. Questions were of 5 points, i.e., 1= = strongly disagree and 5= = strongly agree. All the questions were in simple language to avoid any gap between the respondent and the study. The survey consists of 5 parts IIM with eight components, C.E. with 12 components, P.I. with three components, and eWOM with 11 components Ohanian (1990). Scale for P.I. was adapted by (Dodds et al., 1991; REBELO, 2017) with three components. The scale for C.E. is the same scale used (Ohanian,1990; REBELO, 2017).

Analytical Strategies and Statistical Tests

Data analysis was checked with CFA, and the research explored the relationship between the variables. The mediating role of C.E. was investigated with the structural modelling equation. The reliability was checked prior to path analysis. Various kinds of tests were performed to analyse statics, including demographics, descriptive stats, normality, correlation, regression and Cron Bach's alpha. To ensure the reliability and accuracy of the study, the first step is to check if the data is clean and reliable. It involves four simple steps to follow if the mediating exists or not. If it exists, what kind of mediating is it? The first step is to check the direct effect of IV on DV, the second step is to check the effect of IV on the mediating factor, the third step involves checking the impact of the mediator as IV on DV, and the last step is to check the Relationship of IV and DV in the presence of a mediator. In the underlying study, this test was run to identify the mediation analysis on AMOS between IIM, P.I., eWOM and C.E.

Results and Analysis

Table 1 shows the outcomes of this section which contains the information about the equilibrium point of the data, which is the skewness test, the standard value for the skewness ranges between

+1 and -1. Kurtosis is the test to check the normal distribution of the data and display it through graphs. A high peak of the graphs shows the high value of kurtosis and vice versa. Its standard value ranges from +3 to -3. These tests are followed by out layers test, which is represented by the minimum and maximum values of the responses

Table 1

Components	Min	Max	Mean	SD	Skewness
					Statistic	Std. Error
IIM	1.00	5.00	3.2134	.87039	-.375	.137
CE	1.00	5.00	2.9563	.98392	-.045	.137
PI	1.00	5.00	3.5252	1.10565	-.499	.137
eWOM	1.00	5.00	2.9220	1.00145	.214	.137

Data from different age groups and areas from Pakistan was selected in order to conduct the 

result to test the hypothesis.




Table 2

Components	Frequency	Per cent	Valid Per cent	Cumulative Per cent
Gender (N=318)
male	171	53.8	53.8	53.8
female	147	46.2	46.2	100.0
AGE (N=318)
25 - 35 Year	99	31.1	31.1	31.1
36 to 45 Years	146	45.9	45.9	77.0
46 to 55 Years	73	23.0	23.0	100.0
Education (N=318)
Graduation	46	14.5	14.5	14.5
Master	140	44.0	44.0	58.5
M.Phil.	102	32.1	32.1	90.6
PhD or Other	30	9.4	9.4	100.0

From Table 2, out of 318 respondents, 171 were male, which comprised 46.3% of the total per cent; the rest were female. Results also show the biggest age group was 36- 45 with an average of 44.0%, and the highest number of respondents are with a master's degree, i.e., 140, which also makes a total of 44.0%. The most crucial step in the analysis is checking whether the data can be relayed. For this, the data must pass the stage of reliability analysis, which can be done by achieving the value of Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.7, as it is the most appropriate and commonly used method for checking the reliability of data (Cronbach, 1951).

Table 3

Components	Total items	Cronbach’s alpha
IIM	7	0.887
eWOM	11	0.926
PI	3	0.835
CE	11	0.927

Table 3

Table 3 exhibits the components involved in reliability analysis, according to which IIM is 0.887, eWOM gains 0.926, P.I. shows a value of 0.835, and C.E. is 0.927 of Cronbach's alpha. As each component has a value higher than 0.7, data is reliable and can be used for further analysis. The correlation test is to check if there exists any relation between IV and DV. Checking correlation means checking the ratio by which another variable affects a variable. In other words, how much does a variable deviate from another variable deviation? In the underlying study, Pearson's correlation method will be used to check the Relationship of IIM with that of P.I. and eWOM. The value must lie between +1 and -1, and the significant value should be less than 0.05. Values closer to 1 show the strong Relationship, and values closer to -1 show the weak Relationship.

Table 4

	IIM	CE	P.I.	eWOM
IIM	1	.353**	.442**	.447**
		.000	.000	.000
C.E	.	1	.358**	.364**
			.000	.000
P.I.			1	.423**
				.000
eWOM				1

The above table contains the results of Pearson's correlation test. The relationship between IIM and C.E. is relatively strong as it shows a value of 0.353, which is close to 1, with a significant value of 0.000 <0.05. Hence, the relation between IIM and C.E. is significantly substantial. The link between IIM and P.I. exhibits a value of 0.442, which is also a positive relationship with p<

0.05 hence, this relation is also positively significant. The relationship of IIM with eWOM is of the highest value and most vital among the variables, with a value of 0.447 and p<0.05, making this relation substantial. The link between C.E. and P.I. is 0.358 and with p=0.00, which means this relation is also significantly strong. The relation of C.E. with eWOM and P.I. with eWOM also came out as significantly vital with the value of 0.364 and 0.423, respectively, and the value for both of the components is p=0.00 which is according to the threshold value, i.e., p<0.05. The link between C.E. and eWOM is 0.364 and with p=0.00, which means this relation is significantly strong too

SEM is a way to analyze the direct and indirect effect of independent variables on dependent variables. The direct impact is the impact without any mediator or moderator, while the indirect impact of IV on DV is due to the presence of a mediator. As in the underlying model, CE is a mediator that can also be assumed as IV. Table 5 shows that IIM with C.E. shares a significantly positive relation with p < 0.05 and ?= .0.39, IIM with eWOM shares a significantly positive relation with p < 0.05 and ?= .0.419, IIM with P.I. shares a significantly positive relation with p < 0.05 and ?= .0.458. The effect of C.E. on eWOM is also positive and significant with p< 0.05 and ?=0.240; similarly, the effect of C.E. on P.I. is also significant and joyous as the p< 0.05 and ?=0.260.

Table 5

Direct effects	Estimate	S.E.	C.R.	P	Results
CE <--- IIM	.399	.059	6.721	***	significant
EWOM <--- IIM	.419	.060	6.994	***	significant
PI <--- IIM	.458	.066	6.899	***	significant
EWOM <--- CE	.240	.053	4.528	***	significant
PI <--- CE	.260	.059	4.422	***	significant

The relation of IV on DV through Mediating / moderating factors is the indirect effect of IV on DV. For the indirect effect, three conditions must be satisfied. The mediator must have a significant link with IV; IV must be significantly correlated with DV; Mediator must strengthen or weaken the Relationship between IV and DV. Suppose the outcome after the effect of the mediator is decreased and is significant. In that case, the mediation is partial, while if the effect of IV on DV is decreased and is insignificant, then the mediation is said to be Full mediation. Table 6 highlights the results of mediating variable C.E. with IV (IIM) and DV (P.I. &eWOM). The direct effect of IIM on P.I. is significant and positive with p < 0.05 and ?= 0.458,

In contrast, the link between IIM and P.I. after the entry of the mediating factor effect decreased and showed an insignificant link as p > 0.05 and ?= 0.361. The direct impact of IIM on eWOM is significant and positive with p < 0.05 and ?= 0.419, while the indirect effect is reduced and insignificant as ?= 0.364 and p<0.05 (Table 6). As the mediator reduced the effect and the effect was insignificant, according to equation 2, the mediation was complete. 

Table 6

Endogenous Variables	Effects	IIM	PI	eWOM	C
.E.   C.E.	Direct Effect	.399	.458	.419	.000
	Indirect Effect	.353	.361	.364	.000



Table 7

H1:	IIM significantly impact C.E.	Supported
H2:	IIM has an impact on eWOM	Supported
H3:	Here is the Impact of IIM on P.I.	Supported
H4:	CE significantly impact P.I.	Supported
H5:	CE significantly impact eWOM	Supported
H6:	CE mediates the Relationship between IIM and P.I.	Supported
H7:	CE mediates the Relationship between IIM and eWOM	Supported

Discussion and Conclusion Discussion

This study aimed to explore the importance and impact of IIM on P.I. and eWOM with the effect of C.E. as a mediator to achieve sales promotions and market share. The results of this study are significantly similar to the prior studies (Pekovi? et al., 2019; Li, 2022). Additionally, results validate that Instagram users’ seeming credibility of an influencer is a predecessor of purchase intention to eWOM since both concepts are significantly united. Results of the study show the significant impact of IIM on the P.I. of the consumers and have similar results (Pekovi? et al., 2019). The outcomes study's outcomes also show a significant and positive relationship between eWOM and the influencing the market on Instagram in Pakistan. C.E. and IIM were found to share a bond that is weakly correlated, which means C.E. does not depend much on IIM, and the creditability of the tastemakers slightly affects the decision of the customer, which highlights the endorser with high credibility or with low almost the same impact on the customers while promoting on Instagram The relation of the study is significant to the findings of (Lee et al., 2020) who also found the no significant relation among C.E. and IIM. As considered before, (Sertoglu et al., 2014) prove that the relation between the C.E. of a brand ambassador and the P.I. of the consumers is confirmed and has a positive relation, which forecasts higher levels of credibility of the endorser and higher levels of P.I.

Moreover, it was anticipated from prior studies that credibility dimensions explained P.I. (Sertoglu et al., 2014). Considering the study's outcomes, C.E. and eWOM bear a weak but significant relationship which ultimately means the consumers are showing a more excellent positive response to the advertising posts by a person with a greater C.E. than that of low. The findings of the results are significant to that of (Lee et al., 2020) as the underpinning result of the study shows a slightly significant response which can be neglected. As in the results, C.E. is reducing the impact of IIM on P.I. and showing an insignificant result which can be interpreted that C.E. is causing the complete mediation between the relation of IIM on P.I. This result shows that customers are giving importance to the posts of celebs only with the creditable ratings and worthiness customers do have the effect of the influencers with high attractiveness and trustworthiness.

Conclusion

The current state of affairs of Pakistani media is rapidly evolving. These changes primarily involve the fast-paced transformation of the media sector, which includes the ongoing growth of T.V. and other technology advancements, a spontaneous rise in people's awareness of grooming, and people's attentive brand selection in response to environmental necessities. Daily exposure to promotional activities has increased brand awareness among consumers on both its own and its endorsers' perceptions. The most critical factor influencing the growth and sales of the product is the brand's reputation. These factors influence a customer's decision to buy something or to forego considering a particular brand. The lack of a significant solid result signifies that people are aware of posts such as paid advertisements or posts with content that is fake and posted to boost sales. While it cannot be denied that we live in an era when social media is an integral part of daily life and significantly impacts everyone's lives today, the study's results indicate that consumers do not rely solely on such posts to make purchases. They also conduct independent research when making such intentions.

Implications

It is essential to compile significant results since they have a practical and theoretical impact on how people conduct their lives. The study has contributed to the body of knowledge on marketing through influencers by examining its effects on many constructs, including the P.I. of the customer, the impact of endorsers' creditability, and the role of eWOM. The verdicts of the study also improve our consideration of C.E. in standings of how to properly use celebs on SMS to attain the anticipated marketing goal. Furthermore, the study results produce a theoretical vision for the persuading knowledge model by presenting that credit of profitable intent in promotion only sometimes leads to a severe valuation of the promotional message. Practical lenses suggest the necessity for explaining the present strategy concerning sponsorship revelation on Instagram. The present research results deliver promotional and marketing experts' valued visions on the impact of credibility on the publicity outcome. Consequently, improving and sustaining brand image long-term is critical to successful branding.

Limitations and Future Research Directions

As the current study has some boundaries, detecting and reflecting on them will be beneficial to create future research. There needed to be more clarity in choosing the product categories used in the research. More tests with diverse product lines frequently coming into court in Instagram feeds can be used to simplify the research discoveries. This study's contributors were Instagram users aged between 21 and 68. However, the mainstream Insta users are millennials. Thus, future research can use participants of different age groups to repeat this research. Lastly, this research does not consider any specific brand to deploy brand credibility. Future researchers can use specific brands to check the behaviour of the respondents. The study's participant was almost 300; more could be involved. The research done is a cross-sectional study. It can also be studied in the longitudinal context to study the behaviour of the consumers towards C.E. Different SMS can also be considered for checking the impact of influencer marketing. 

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