Celebrity endorsement

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of local and foreign celebrity endorsements on Maltese consumers. The literature review brings together both a discussion of celebrity endorsement on the global scene and Fishbein & Ajzen's (1975) Theory of Reasoned Action Model. The hypotheses proposed ask whether a local or foreign celebrity endorser make a difference to Maltese consumers and if the endorser impacts purchase intention. Two identical questionnaires about 2 different celebrity endorsement adverts: a Maltese and foreign advert were used to collect data from a sample of 195 respondents. The quota sample was made up of both males and females between the age groups of 16-24, 25-49, and 50-64 years representing a spread of the population. The overall results illustrate that a foreign celebrity endorsement makes a difference to Maltese consumers and it impacts purchase. However, Maltese advertising agencies, should still utilize a local celebrity to endorse a product since minimal difference was highlighted between the attractiveness and intention to purchase of a Maltese and foreign celebrity endorsement. However, in using a local celebrity, one needs to pay careful attention to the credibility factor because results indicate that a foreign celebrity endorser carries much more credibility than a Maltese celebrity for Maltese consumers.