Celebrity Endorsement and Consumer Purchase Intentions

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer purchase intentions. The analysis was based on a survey of 300 participants between 18 and 54 years. They were from the University of Hull and surroundings, which were American consumers. The study focused on celebrity endorser characteristics, including attractiveness, trustworthiness, congruence, similarity, expertise, and compatibility between the promoter and their endorsement impact on brands and products. The researcher hypothesized that the chosen celebrity characteristics positively impacted the consumers’ purchase intentions. The regression model, Structural Equation Modelling, and path analysis were used to test the study hypotheses. The study established that all the celebrity characteristics significantly impacted consumer purchase intention. Since this study was purely quantitative, a future study should be conducted using a mixed approach. This study implies that every company that employs a celebrity must consider attractiveness, trustworthiness, congruence, similarity, expertise, and compatibility between the promoter and their endorsement impact on brands and products.

Introduction

The concept of association has been utilized in advertising for ages. This concept has evolved over the years, from advertisements involving celebrities participating in adverts to intentional endorsement where they talk about products and give testimonies about their benefits. This research will look at how celebrity endorsement impacts a consumer’s intention to purchase a product.

Research Rationale

Scholars have had extensive debates concerning the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers as this traditional concept of using celebrities to personalize different brands has increased the public recognition of goods and services. According to one study, the celebrity’s professional competence and general appearance promote the acceptability of newly introduced goods in the market (Dom, Ramli, Chin* and Fern, 2016, p.526). According to another study, when famous actors, politicians, singers, or athletes are associated with given brands, they allow companies to advance their market share (Han and Yazdanifard, 2015, p. 26). Therefore, companies have been aggressively advertising with captured images of celebrities using their products on magazines, billboards, the internet, and most read newspapers (Malik and Guptha, 2014, p. 2422). Celebrity endorsement has become a popular marketing strategy today (Thomas and Fowler, 2016, p. 377; Molla, 2019, p.1). Some scholars show that there has been inconsistency in the results obtained from celebrity-endorsed advertisements (Osei-Frimpong, Donkor, and Owusu-Frimpong, 2019, p.104). This study will investigate how celebrity advertisement impacts consumers’ intention to purchase a product by asking them about their perceptions of celebrity-endorsed advertising.

Research Aim

This study investigates the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers’ purchase intention.

Research Questions

• RQ1: Are consumers aware of celebrity-endorsed products?
• RQ2: What factors affect a consumer’s decision to purchase a celebrity-endorsed product?
• RQ2: What are the factors that make a good celebrity endorsement?

Research Objectives

1. To investigate consumer’s awareness of celebrity-endorsed products
2. To investigate the factors affecting consumer decision to purchase a celebrity-endorsed product
3. To investigate the elements that make a good celebrity endorsement

Literature Review

This chapter discusses the theoretical view and empirical review of the topic under study. The chapter covers the issues relevant to consumers’ purchase intention and the attributes of celebrities perceived to be vital in influencing a person’s intention to purchase a product. Lastly, the conceptual framework of the study is presented.

Theoretical Review

The Concept of Celebrity Endorsement

Celebrity endorsement is a popular strategy companies use to contract famous people as their product’s spokespersons. The person of public recognition uses their fame and influence in society to promote a brand by advertising a product or a service (Molla, 2019, p.8). Celebrities endorsing a product automatically give the product or brand a competitive edge. Celebrities are those people who are known by the people to have accomplished certain fetes in sectors other than the product or service they endorse (Molla, 2019, p.8), Gupta, Kishore, and Verma, 2015, p. 2). Among the celebrities used frequently as product endorsers and spokesperson’s for companies are actors, entertainers, and sports figures.

Celebrity endorsements are one of the creative strategies that firms have been adopting to survive the advent of intense competition (Min et al., 2019, p. 1). Celebrity endorsement has been associated with a significant increase in market share and attention to marketing communication; they draw attention to advertising due to their attractiveness and likeability (Hajdas and Kłeczek, 2021, p.360). Additionally, celebrity endorsements enhance the effectiveness of advertising, brand identification; brand recall, buy intent, and even purchasing behaviour are all influenced (Olmedo et al., 2020, p.2). These enhancements increase a company’s advertising awareness, creating positive feelings toward its brands (Molla, 2019, p.8). Celebrity endorsement also improves communicative ability by enabling advertisements to stand out from other commercials (Molla, 2019, p. 9). Therefore, advertisements endorsed by celebrities assist companies in introducing and repositioning their brand and boosting their corporate image.

Factors Constituting Celebrity Endorsement

Attractiveness

Attractiveness or appeal is one of the key components of celebrity endorsements (Freeman and Chen, 2015, p.214). The allure of a celebrity extends above their outward appearance and encompasses a variety of additional traits like their mental faculties, lifestyle, fame, athletic prowess, and celebrity propensities. Through various media, including broadcast, print, outdoor, and even internet advertising, publicity stunts have opened the way to attract customer attention (Apejoye, 2013, p. 2). The prominence of endorsers in showcasing their achievements, whether in music, arts, sports, or any other sector, makes them alluring. Consumers are drawn to these celebrities because of their accomplishments (Chung and Cho, 2017, p. 482).

Certainly, one of the most important components of effective communication is attractiveness. According to the theory of personal allure, celebrities appeal to consumers’ needs to identify and relate to the endorser’s recognized personality (Paul and Bhakar, 2018, p. 155). While promoters frequently choose endorsers based on their physical attractiveness to sway consumer behaviour, a source’s attractiveness may only be effective if the advertised product is enticing enough for consumers to purchase it (Chan, Ng, and Luk, 2013, p. 29). Skincare products, salons, spas, outfits, and conditioners are just a few examples of items and services directly impacted by the impression of large brand affiliation (Mishra and Mishra, 2014). In this study, the researcher hypothesized that attractiveness positively influences consumers’ buying intentions.

H1: The celebrity characteristic attractiveness positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

Trustworthiness

The degree to which the message’s target accepts that the celebrity delivering it has a specific quantity of accurate and significant information or aptitude determines whether they accept facts provided by the sponsor. Celebrity credibility is defined as an endorser’s honesty, “genuineness, and trustworthiness (Schimmelpfennig and Hunt, 2020, p. 489). Customers frequently believe that powerful people are reliable sources of information. It is a well-known reality that one person is more trusted than another in a system if you think them to be a provider who can effectively persuade people to consider a certain thing (Khan and Lodhi, 2016, p. 102). Furthermore, a celebrity’s influence grows if they are experts in the cause they champion (Wei and Wu, 2013, p.3). Celebrity credibility states that when a correspondent provider has specialized knowledge in a field of interest, the knowledge gives the source influence and acceptance, which makes transmission from the origin be considered trustworthy or credible (Priyankara et al., 2017, p. 129; Zakari, Dogbe, and Asante, 2019, 1299). The researcher hypothesized that this study’s trustworthiness positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

H2: The celebrity characteristic, trustworthiness positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

Congruence

The most crucial element for creating positive feedback is the relationship between the celebrity and the product since consumers interpret this as proof that the celebrity in question uses or consumes the product (Roy, Jain, and Rana, 2013, p. 73). If the public does not rationally view the endorser as the ideal match for the product, it is merely a waste of money. Social acceptance of celebrities and increased credibility necessitates their matching principle with the commodity as crucial as any other feature (Randhawa and Khan, 2014, p. 173). The performance of relatively incongruent endorsers is not superior to that of the most congruent (Gilal et al., 2020). The brand-celebrity matched study attests to the validity and usefulness of the congruence principle. Congruence between the product and the source of the product is crucial because consumers want to connect the product to its origin (Gauns et al., 2018, 46). If customers feel that celebrities are truly using the brand and that it has a noticeable impact on their character, they are more likely to buy it. The researcher hypothesized that congruence positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions in this study.

H3: The celebrity characteristic congruence positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

Similarity

Consumers prefer celebrities who are similar to themselves based on their outlooks. Similarity is an apparent resemblance between the recipient and the message’s source (Nguyen, 2021, p. 952). Customers are more likely to connect with a source address that they have some similar ground regarding hobbies, habits, or lifestyles (Parmar and Patel, 2014, p. 2). Organizations choose brand ambassadors who more or less share interests with the target market to build an emotional connection between the celebrity and the public (Adnan et al., 2018, p. 179). Consumers might become acquainted with the celebrity endorsement due to their alleged commonalities. As a result of feeling a connection to the message’s origin, this presumption will prompt them to pursue the recommended product constantly (Pan and Meng, 2018, p. 234). When people feel some approachability with the celebrity, their effects are felt more strongly. This way will present a superior association (Jin, 2018). Any resemblance between the buyer and the celebrity creates a relationship, heightening the product’s allure (Felix and Borges, 2014, p. 280). Scholars have also identified celebrity likeness characteristics that boost the attractiveness likelihood (Moraes et al., 2019, p. 1160). These elements consist of comparable tendencies, values, acceptances, and tastes. The researcher hypothesized that similarity positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions in this study.

H4: The celebrity characteristic similarity positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

Expertise

How well the endorser is perceived to have the necessary knowledge, skills, or abilities to promote the product depends on their expertise (Kim, Lee, and Prideaux, 2014, p.132). If supporters have the necessary skills, knowledge, and expertise, they will undoubtedly be regarded as experts. For any organization, the concept of perceived expertise presented by celebrities can be useful. It is a common misconception that promoters like well-known celebrities have more expertise than true experts (Dwivedi, Johnson, and McDonald, 2016, p. 489). Celebrity expertise can be defined as the extent to which a speaker is perceived to be a source of significant statements. Therefore, customers’ purchasing intention is directly and favourably linked to the expertise implied in endorsement (Adam and Hussain, 2017, p. 80). The researcher hypothesized that expertise positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions in this study.

H5: The expertise characteristic of expertise positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

Compatibility between companies’ Promoter and their endorsement

According to Jain and Roy (2016, p.267), the compatibility of the advertiser is demonstrated when “the fundamentally pertinent characteristics of the celebrity representation are consistent with the genuinely pertinent aspects of the company or promoted commodity.” The association of a superstar with a product endorsement is just as important as any other component because it increases trustworthiness and encourages a customer’s favourable attitude towards a product (Sivesan, 2013, p. 1). Celebrity endorsements must be associated with the advertised product to convince consumers that the celebrity is promoting the product and truly uses it (Aziz, Ghani, and Niazi, 2013, p. 108). If a customer believes that the endorser is an idealistic mismatch and that everything they are advocating is purely fictional for commercial gain, they may reject them critically (Muda et al., 2014; Hussain, 2019). A company that ensures compatibility between the product and the endorser has higher chances of succeeding in its advertising.

Customers are more drawn to an item if they believe the celebrity sponsoring it supports them or is truly qualified to use it (Rahman, 2018; Yang, 2018). Therefore, an end user may be able to distinguish and choose a celebrity-endorsed item over a non-celebrity-endorsed item. There is connection between the brand and the endorser and between the endorser and the consumer.

In this study, the researcher hypothesised that compatibility positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

H6: The expertise characteristic compatibility positively impacts consumers’ buying intentions.

Purchase Intention

The probability that a consumer will buy is unquestionably increased by purchase intention. The term “purchase intention” often relates to the notion, inclination, or eventual purchase of goods (Sertoglu, Catli, and Korkmaz, 2014). The propensity or psychological attitude to purchase a specific good is known as buying intent. Purchase intention, commonly referred to as behavioural intent, conveys the possibility that a person will make a purchase. Actual purchases and purchase intention rates have a good association. Hani, Marwan, and Andre (2018) support this assertion and show that the mental preference of a customer toward a product has a significant impact on the purchasing decision (Yang, 2018). The mental preference can be externally stimulated through exposure to a celebrity-endorsed advert.

The Meditational Impact of Adverse Publicity of Endorsers

Celebrity endorsements can cost businesses a lot of money (Ugwuanyi, Okeke, and Emezue, 2018). This expense is not only measured in terms of money necessary to compensate them but also concerning the possible positive or negative impact on consumer perception that their image may have (Abbas et al., 2018). While endorsements have generally been beneficial, there is also a chance that they could go wrong (Ha and Lam, 2017; Ahmed et al., 2015; Zipporah and Mberia, 2014). In the United States, there have been occasions where endorsers have received negative press (Gong and Li, 2017). The author agrees that consumers’ intentions to buy a product or service are significantly influenced by the appeal of a celebrity (Bergkvist and Zhou, 2016). This research paper proves that endorsements greatly impact consumers’ intentions to buy a commodity.

Theoretical Models for Celebrity Endorsement

• The Social Influence Theory. According to social influence theory, people inside a distinct social network are affected by others to display particular behavioural patterns (Ha and Lam, 2017). The theory is categorized as normative or Informational (Huy, 2018). The normative social influence refers to members’ persuasion to comply with another person’s norms in a group (Malik and Qureshi, 2016). Celebrities influence the consumers because of their social influence, which they draw from their fame and exceptional abilities.
• The Persuasion Theory. According to the persuasion theory, the attractiveness and credibility of the source are crucial factors in persuasion since they can influence customer behaviour and increase message receptivity (Wongweeranonchai, 2016). The employment of celebrities as service and product endorsers thus emphasizes the persuasiveness of messaging or communication from them because doing so aims to alter or affect consumers’ perceptions and attitudes toward the brand (Dekker and Reijmersdal, 2013; Schimmelpfennig and Hunt, 2020). There is no other way a celebrity can appeal to the masses; persuasion is invaluable and critical for the success of product endorsement.
• The Source Credibility Model. The target audience’s opinions’ trustworthiness is defined as the believability and integrity of an endorser, and it suggests that a brand is likely to deliver on its promises. With likeability as its attribute, trustworthiness is a key predictor of source credibility and has the power to affect behaviour, beliefs, opinions, and attitudes (Wang, Kao, and Ngamsiriudom, 2017). Such impacts occur when consumers accept a source’s impact on their attitudes and value systems (Spears, Royne, and Steenburg, 2013). Consumers will embrace influence they can relate to and reject it from sources they want to distance themselves from (Wang, Kao, and Ngamsiriudom, 2017). Therefore, since celebrities are viewed as aspirational leaders, they strongly have a propensity to persuade customers to embrace product messages and react to them by buying them (Martín-Santana and Beerli-Palacio, 2013). In short, for a celebrity to exert influence, they must foster trustworthiness and credibility in their endorsement.
• Source Attractiveness Model. According to the source attractiveness model, a message’s impact is influenced by how well-known, likable, similar, and physically beautiful the source is to the responders (Dwivedi and Johnson, 2013; Zhang, Xu, and Gursoy, 2020). Overall, attractiveness comprises various virtues that customers may perceive in a celebrity endorser, such as academic prowess, behavioural traits, or lifestyles (Hennayake, 2017). It does not just refer to physical appeal (Zhu, Amelina, and Yen, 2022). According to the theories, utilizing famous people to promote goods and services is mostly done to draw brand awareness and influence consumers’ perceptions of it (Patel and Basil, 2017). This may also imply that in planning persuasive advertisements, businesses should use celebrities viewed as credible and appealing by their target audience (Mishra, 2015). Therefore, the source models may be crucial in persuading customers of the appeal or reliability of the brand.
• Product / Celebrity Matchup Hypothesis. According to the Product Matchup Hypothesis, an advert is effective if the consumer perceives congruence between the celebrity image and the brand. Consumers expect a high level of congruence between the product and celebrity (Molla, 2019, p.13). The matchup between a celebrity and a brand relies not only on ordinary congruency but also on the celebrity’s physical attractiveness. The Match-up Hypothesis of celebrity fits well with the Social Adaptation Theory. According to the theory, the impact of information depends on its adaptive significance. For example, when a company includes an attractive model in the advert, it may intrinsically prompt the idea in the minds of some consumers that using the brand-endorsed model will enhance their attractiveness, and they will like the model, hence providing adaptive information. High congruency between celebrity image and product enhances endorser attractiveness and believability, creating more purchase intentions and favourable attitudes toward a product. This model implies that in selecting a celebrity endorser, an advertiser should both the product attributes and the meanings associated with the celebrity.

Empirical Review

Several researchers have explored the congruency between brands and celebrity endorsers to explain the impact of celebrities on the promotion of brands. One of the countries where researchers have given mixed results on the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer intentions is Malaysia. Chen and Freeman (2015) conducted a quantitative study to evaluate how celebrity endorsement impacted young adults in Malaysia based on consumer intention and the TEARS model. The TEARS model entails trustworthiness, expertise, physical attractiveness, respect, and similarity. The researchers used structured questionnaires to interview 318 young adults and found out that respect, similarity, physical attractiveness, and trustworthiness are attributes that significantly impacted the young adults’ purchase intentions. Expertise did not have any significant influence on the consumers’ purchase intentions.

In another study that focused on Malaysian consumers, Adis, Ing, Manaf, Kim, and Mat (2019) studied how Korean celebrity characteristics impacted young Malaysian consumers’ attitudes towards imitating celebrity endorsementsand the consumer intention, focusing on 602 participants. The researchers, like Chen and Freeman (2019), found that celebrity characteristics of trustworthiness and attractiveness were directly and indirectly, while expertise did not have any significant direct or indirect impact on consumers’ intentions to imitate celebrities. However, Adis, Ing, Manaf, Kim, and Mat (2019) found that credibility did not significantly impact consumers’ attitude to imitate celebrity-endorsed advertisements.

In another study, Aziz, Omar, and Ariffin (2019) carried out a quantitative study on public university students in Malaysia to investigate how attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, and the fit between the endorser and the celebrity impacted consumer intentions on purchasing a product. Unlike Chen and Freeman (2015) and Adis, Ing, Manaf, Kim, and Mat (2019), the result revealed that only the fit between the endorsed product and the celebrity had any impact on the purchase among the consumers. Attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise did not lead to any purchases among the students. These studies in Malaysia revealed contradictory results even though they focused on young adults and university students as participants.

In another study carried out in Indonesia, Amelina, Yen, and Zhu (2020) investigated the impact of celebrity endorsement on impulsive buying intentions on Instagram. The researchers postulated that the celebrity’s expertise, attractiveness, trustworthiness, and interaction with followers positively influenced the consumers’ attitude toward product and brand attractiveness, leading to impulse buying. The researchers conducted an online survey involving 204 participants to test the hypothesis. They found that the endorsers’ attractiveness and trustworthiness positively influenced the consumers’ attitude towards a brand. On the other hand, the merchandise attractiveness was positively impacted by the trustworthiness and expertise of the endorser. This study contradicts the studies carried out in Malaysia, which indicated that an endorser’s expertise does not significantly impact the consumers’ intentions.

Asante, Dogbe, and Zakari (2019) conducted a quantitative study on 700 customers to investigate the impact of celebrity endorsement on the reputation of telecommunication companies. The researchers found that celebrity endorsement did not significantly affect telecommunication companies’ reputations. Concerning the celebrity characteristics, they found out that attractiveness, trustworthiness, and likeability had a direct positive impact on the telecommunication companies’ reputation, positively moderating the celebrity endorsement impact on the reputation of the telecommunication companies. On the other hand, celebrity expertise had no direct effect on the reputation of the companies while positively moderating the celebrity endorsement impact and reputation of the telecommunication.

These studies, and others like Ngamsiriudom, Kao, and Wang (2017), Ugwuanyi, Okeke and Emezue (2018), Schoutenn, Janssen, and Verspaget (2018), Shcimmelpfenning and Hunt (2019) reveal mixed results when considering the impact of celebrity characteristics on the consumers’ buying intentions. These studies have not been carried out in the American context, and the researcher will study how celebrity endorsement affects consumers’ purchasing intentions. Also, the researcher will use a wider range of ages, from 18 to 54 years old. Most of the other studies have focused on young adults, which may not represent reality in the general population since the impact of celebrity endorsement could vary according to age.

Conceptual Framework

This study will be grounded on the matchup hypothesis and celebrity endorsement source credibility model. The tri-component source credibility model was developed by combining the source attractiveness model and source credibility model to formulate a consistent measurement of source credibility by producing a valid and reliable scale. The model entails three dimensions: the effectiveness of a celebrity endorser’s advertisement, expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness.

In hiring celebrities to endorse products, companies rationalize that people consume celebrities’ images, and the companies believe that people will likewise consume the products associated with those celebrities. Hence, a celebrity’s physical attractiveness, congruence, and credibility concerning the product they are endorsing impact a consumer’s perception of the product (Molla, 2019, p.25). It has also been stated that celebrity endorsement adverts boost product sales and purchases, and people are more likely to buy a product if it is endorsed by a celebrity, showing that the media hugely influences today’s consumers.

Additionally, consumers will connect more easily with a source that addresses lifestyles, hobbies, and similar habits (Parmar and Patel, 2014). Moreover, the compatibility of a celebrity with a product they are endorsing is vital since it increases customers’ favourable attitude towards the product (Sivesan, 2013). The study will examine the impact of celebrity endorsement (congruence, similarity, attractiveness, expertise, compatibility) on purchase intention.

Research Methodology

To answer the research questions, the author will conduct a quantitative study to investigate the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers’ purchase intention. This section discusses the research philosophy, the research design, the research design, the development of the questionnaire, the data collection method, and the study’s participants. It also contains the sampling method, sample size, and the critical research ethics adhered to during the study.

Research Philosohpy

The interpretivist research philosophy serves as the foundation for this research. Its goal is to develop an empathic awareness of how the consumers see the world to explore the intricacies of advertising (Kim, Lee, and Prideaux, 2014). This research chose interpretivism because it is subjective and shapes participants’ perspectives. Also, it develops an empathic awareness of how the study subjects see the world to explore the intricacies of social processes (Tamminen and Poucher, 2020). The interpretivist research philosophy is appropriate for this study because it will allow participants to express their opinions about celebrity endorsement and consumer purchasing power.

Reasearch Approach

According to the interpretative research philosophy, a subjective, the most viable research approach is inductive research methodology. It indicates that the study is experimental and that its findings are rich and personalized, focusing on achieving depth instead of scope (Opie, 2019). An inductively based evaluation technique allows interpretations to emerge as data is gathered to find patterns and links. This study examines the Influence of Celebrity Endorsement on Consumer Purchase Intention (Matua and Wal, 2015). Interpretivism is, therefore, the most effective strategy for reaching the research’s goals, along with the intrinsic approaches of inductive analysis and qualitative research techniques.

Research Design

The choice of research subjects can be made consciously in interpretivist studies. This study’s primary goal is to evaluate the impact of celebrity endorsements on consumers’ purchasing intentions (Akhtar, 2016). The best method for obtaining unbiased and measurable data will be through quantitative research (Sileyew, 2019). Critical components of the research design are discussed in the following subsections.

Questionnaires and Measurement Techniques

The researcher designed a structured questionnaire containing 15 closed-ended formalized questions to collect the participants’ required data. A good questionnaire should explain the data requirement by asking specific questions that are easy to understand (Malik and Qureshi, 2016, p. 2430). Sections one, three, and four had multiple answer questions, which guided them in answering the questions. On the other hand, in section two, the participants were asked to rate their opinions on a five-point Likert scale mentioning 1 as very likely and 5 as very unlikely as shown in Appendix 4.

Content Validity

The researcher used the item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and the Scale-level Content Validity Index S-CVI to determine the content validity of the survey instrument. I-CVI is on a scale of zero to one and expresses the proportion of experts’ agreement on the relevance of each survey item (Koller, Levenson, and Glück, 2017, p.5). On the other hand, S-CVI measured the proportion of the items on the questionnaire, rated 3 or 4 by the experts. The figure below summarizes the process followed in validating the questionnaire.

The researcher recruited five marketing research experts and four lay persons from the study population. A high number of experts are advisable since it increases because they have better evaluation abilities and their consistent judgments increase the validity and reliability of results (Koller, Levenson, and Glück, 2017, p.5). The final I-CVI and S-CVI results were 0.83 and 3, respectively, revealing the high content validity of the questionnaire.

Pilot Testing

Upon finishing the survey questionnaire design, the researcher carried out pilot testing. The researcher identified 30 people from the target population and requested them to complete the survey in the way it would be completed during the actual project. In this case, the researcher shared the link to the Google form containing the survey questions with the ten people.

Sampling

• Sampling Method. A sample is a small portion of something meant to represent an entire population. The researcher used the alternative sampling method of probability and non-probability (Malik and Qureshi, 2016, p. 2430). For this research, the researcher used the non probability method called convenience sampling. The main advantage of this convenience sampling method is that it only requires the participants to agree whether to participate in a study.
• Sample Size. Good sample size should enable a study to be generalized. In this survey, 300 respondents participated in the research, but 20 participants did not finish the questionnaire, and some responses were invalid,, reducing the sample size to 280. For some scholars’ studies, a sample size larger than 30 but less than 500 is suitable for research (Malik and Qureshi, 2016, p. 2430). Other scholars recommend the formula N>50+8m, where N is the sample size while m is the number of independent variables in a study (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2007, p. 123). This study has five independent variables; therefore, using this formula, the researcher requires a minimum of at least 90 participants.
• Participants. The sample used for this study consisted of young Americans with no education background, primary, high school, undergraduate, and graduate-level education. Also, the study targets participants between 18 and 54 years. The primary goal for choosing the group above is to find a younger generation that is keenly interested in and informed of what is being provided by advertisements and by whom it is supported so they can quickly recall for creating connections and correctly react to questions that are supplied. Another significance of the mentioned demographic is that it serves as a target market for the company’s goods.

Data Collection

To gain the desired outcomes, a researcher must collect all the required information and data from a representative and relevant population. The researcher used a structured questionnaire to collect the data from American students and faculty at the University of Hull and primary, high school, and college students.

Key Research Ethics

Research ethics are vital in ensuring that researchers conduct their study research responsibly. The norms of the researcher’s behaviour and moral decisions are crucial to ensure that no one is hurt or suffers due to research operations (Reijers et al., 2018). The data collection and questionnaire design considered the respondent’s right to have consent before answering the questions (See Appendix 4). The participants were also given the right to withhold data they felt was confidential. Additionally, the respondents were free to withdraw from the survey. They were also informed of the right to privacy, and the collected data were kept confidential (McKenna and Gray, 2018). Also, the researcher completed the Form D Research Ethics Approval Form before commencing the research process.

Data Analysis

This part examines a multiple regression analysis of the raw data utilizing percentage and standard S.P.S.S. methods. The S.P.S.S. is a popular statistical package that performs complex data manipulation using simple instructions.

Data Interpretation

The statistical software’s S.P.S.S. and A.M.O.S. will be used to obtain results and ultimately approve or disprove the null hypothesis. The findings of structural equation modeling and path analysis will be accepted from Amos, and regression analysis using S.P.S.S. will be used to examine further if particular factors of celebrity branding influence customer purchase intentions.

Testing Hypothesis

The study aims to quantify how celebrity endorsements affect a consumer’s desire to make a purchase. The following hypothesis was developed with that in mind.

• H1: The consumer’s intention to buy a product is significantly impacted by the compatibility between the product and the endorser.
• H2: The consumer’s intention to buy is significantly influenced by celebrity credibility.
• H3: The consumer’s intention to buy is significantly impacted by celebrity attractiveness.
• H4: The consumer’s intention to buy is significantly impacted by celebrity congruence between the brand and the endorser
• H5: The consumer’s buying intention is significantly impacted by celebrity trustworthiness.
• H6: The consumer’s intention to buy is significantly impacted by the similarity between the endorser and the consumer.

The research will use the following techniques to analyse the collected data.

• Regression Analysis: A statistical tool for examining the link between two or more variables.
• Structural Equation Modelling: A statistical method used to examine the structural relationships between observed data and latent constructs.
• Path Analysis: This technique is used to gauge the size and potency of direct and indirect correlations between variables.

Respondent Profile

Information was gathered from 300 respondents who were students and family households to determine a consumer’s purchasing intent in response to celebrity endorsements Mikuláš and Světlík, 2016). Of the 300 respondents, 52% were females, while 48% were males.

Discussion

The results show that celebrity endorsement influences consumers’ intentions to make purchases. The findings also show that celebrity credibility, beauty, and product suitability considerably impact consumers’ intentions to purchase a product. The results determined that celebrity endorsement of a product has a statistically minimal impact on a customer’s buying propensity.

Customers Purchase Intention

This study aimed to determine whether elements like appeal, trustworthiness, knowledge, resemblance to the target market, and compatibility with the recommended product may affect a buyer’s buying decision. It was discovered that celebrity appeal, knowledge, credibility, and likeness impacted buying intention.

Table 5.1: Research Hypotheses

Impact of Celebrity Attractiveness

The study demonstrates how the appeal of celebrities affects consumers’ behaviour expectations. The results are predictable given the prior research and literature that is currently available. More specifically, the research has shown that people respond favourably to endorsements from attractive and intriguing persons (Kuvita and Karlíček, 2014). According to the hypotheses, people prefer attractive endorsers to their less handsome peers. Although source allure rarely results in a sudden shift in behaviour, numerous studies have confirmed that it is an important precursor to social influence (Lomboan, 2013). Celebrity charismatic quality can be a significant factor in raising awareness of or familiarity with a good or service (Rifon, Jiang, and Kim, 2016). According to this finding, celebrity attractiveness significantly influences buying intentions and spreads a good message (Park and Cho, 2015). Customers also generally demand that brand endorsers be genuinely attractive.

Celebrity Expertise

Celebrity expertise significantly impacted consumers’ intentions to purchase a specific brand. The greater the celebrity’s experience level, the more probable it is to influence a customer’s purchasing intent (Rabia et al., 2019). This result is consistent with the studies which show that an effective endorser fosters a favourable perception of the goods or services (Vien, Yun, and Fai, 2017).

Celebrity Similarity

According to this study, celebrity similarity statistically impacts how likely consumers are to purchase a product or service. The study also shows that celebrity likeness and familiarity benefit customers’ attitudes toward a brand’s message. This can be made clear: Celebrities are beautiful and have extraordinary talents (Šeimienė and Jankovič, 2014). Every follower should emulate the people they admire in behaviour, preferences, fashion sense, and other traits. They emulate well-known individuals when learning and believe they are similar (Mirabi, Akbariyeh, and Tahmasebifard, 2015). However, while proximity does increase the attention and memory given to advertisements with famous personalities, it does not affect how customers feel about a brand (Belch and Belch 2013). Similar interests, hobbies, and future goals might also exist. For example, if a consumer enjoys sports or hopes to become an athlete in the future, they are likelier to believe an athletic endorser because of their shared interests (Hussain and Ali, 2015).

Managerial Effect

This study’s findings will help marketers comprehend the value of celebrity endorsements in raising brand identification and recall among consumers. This study demonstrates how certain celebrity endorsement characteristics, such as appeal to customers and ability to relate to them, influence their decision to purchase (Martín-Santana and Beerli-Palacio, 2013). This will make it easier for marketers to employ similar elements when promoting to consumers (Saeed et al., 2014). Buyers are swayed by the influence of celebrity endorsements and believe the good or service the celebrity is recommending. Additionally, this will guide a certain brand’s perspective and increase the likelihood of its positioning in the market (Mansour and Diab, 2016).

The research also demonstrates that it is not necessary to depict a celebrity and product as matching, meaning that marketers will benefit from the popularity of the celebrity as long as customers identify with them (Nasermoadeli, Ling, and Maghnati, 2013).

Conclusion

The study supports the notion that celebrity endorsement influences consumers’ intentions to make purchases. Research findings also show that celebrities’ competence, credibility, congruence, and resemblance in attractiveness all influence customer purchase intentions. According to this study, many factors substantially impact consumers’ purchasing intentions. This is because the hypothesized research model fits the data well, making the entire model acceptable.

Recommendations

The study did not study the moderating or direct effects of the consumer’s emotions, which could significantly impact their behaviours. The study concentrated on the influence of some source model characteristics on the part of the celebrity endorser to influence consumer purchase behaviours (Pradhan, Duraipandian, and Sethi, 2016). Future studies could use our suggested model to examine the relative contributions of additional variables, including emotions and customer demographic traits, as moderators (Schouten, Janssen, and Verspaget, 2020). Also, the study was purely quantitative; therefore, future research could consider a mixed method in studying the impact of celebrity endorsement characteristics on consumers.

Future Research and Limitations

The study used a non-experimental research methodology, which could have limitations in claims of causality as evaluated in the measurement model, to assess the impact of celebrity endorsement on customer purchase intention (Popescu, 2014). In the future, researchers could consider undertaking in-depth longitudinal research to investigate the noon-significance of an endorser’s negative publicity on customers’ buying intentions.

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Appendices

Questionnaire

Dear Participant,

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Hull, researching the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumers’ purchasing intentions. This survey will help me fulfill my B.A. marketing degree.

I would appreciate it if you took 5 minutes to complete this survey. All the data collected will be kept confidential and will be used for academic purposes only. You can withdraw from the survey anytime.

Thank you for supporting my study and survey.

Please contact me via email XXX if you have any questions about this survey.

To continue answering the following questions, you agree that you are 18 years old or above.

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Your name

Section 1: General Information

Please tick one answer in each question.

In the past six months, have you purchased any product because it was endorsed by a celebrity?

• Yes
• No

Do you care whether a celebrity endorses a product or not?

• Yes
• No

Do you look at a celebrity’s appearance before purchasing a product?

• Yes
• No

Do you buy only those products endorsed by celebrities that you love?

• Yes
• No

What are the factors in choosing to buy products endorsed by celebrities?

• You get high-quality products
• To ensure you buy affordable products
• To save some money
• The celebrities’ testimonies are trustworthy

Section 2: Factors affecting customer decision in purchasing a product

Please answer the following questions on what affects your decision-making when purchasing a product on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing “extremely unlikely” and 5 representing “very likely.”

Section 3: Things that make a good celebrity endorsement

Please respond to the following questions, giving your opinion on what you think makes a good celebrity endorsement. You can agree or disagree with the statements.

I look at a celebrity’s expertise when purchasing a product:

• Agree
• Disagree

I look at a celebrity’s physical attractiveness when purchasing a product:

• Agree
• Disagree

I look at a celebrity’s fame when purchasing a product:

• Agree
• Disagree

Section 4: About you

You are almost completing this survey. Please provide the following basic information. All answers will be treated with confidentiality.

• How do you describe your gender?

  • Female
  • Male
  • I prefer not to say
• Please indicate the age group that you belong to

  • 15-24
  • 25-34
  • 45-54
  • I prefer not to say
• What is your highest education level?

  • Primary school or below
  • Secondary school
  • Post-secondary school/Associate Degree/ Diploma
  • University or above

Completed

Thank you for your time in supporting this survey.