Abstract:
Celebrity endorsement has been an important area of study from the perspectives of
marketers as well as consumers. This research aims at developing and testing a model of
celebrity endorsement with celebrity-product congruence and attractiveness as predictor
variables, with consumer involvement affecting a consumer assessment of the brand and
purchase intention. The research has been guided by current attention being given to
the significance of celebrities for endorsing products. However, the same has not been
duly explored in the context of celebrity endorsement, with consumer involvement as a
mediating variable, and further its impact on consumers’ evaluation. The present research
discusses the relationship effect of celebrity endorsement on consumers’ evaluation of
the communication done through the celebrity endorsing the brand. The study highlights
mediating role of consumer involvement for both high and low involvement products in
formation of attitude towards advertisement and buying intention. Using mall intercept
method, the data was collected from 246 respondents. Structural equation modelling was
used for analysing the data using AMOS 22.0. The results indicate that consumer responses are maximised when endorser attractiveness and consumer involvement interact with each
other. Also, it is observed that consumer involvement has maximum impact on attitude
toward advertisement. The paper closes with theoretical and managerial implication.