International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VIII, Issue IV, April 2021 | ISSN 2321–2705

Celebrity Endorsement and Customer Patronage

Monday Odili¹, Ukpai K. Ukpai²
Department of Marketing, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
In this study, we examined the effect of celebrity endorsement on customer patronage in consumer goods manufacturing industry in Rivers State Nigeria using cross-sectional regression approach. The study also considered the moderating role of brand image in the relationship between celebrity endorsement and customer patronage. Celebrity endorsement were measured using three dimensions; namely,celebrity fit, celebrity credibility and celebrity expertise. On the other hand, customer patronage was measured in terms of brand choice, repeat purchase and customer referral. All variables were measured using the Likert scale with five ordered options from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Seventy-Six (76) final year marketing students from the three universities (University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education) in Rivers state constitute the sample. The students were randomly selected, and the response rate is 86%. The results show evidence that the three dimensions of celebrity endorsement; celebrity fit, celebrity credibility and celebrity, all have positive relationship with customer patronage. However, while the effect of celebrity fit and celebrity credibility both are highly statistically significant, the effect of celebrity expertise is significant only at 10% level. Also, the joint effects of celebrity fit, celebrity credibility and celebrity expertise is highly significant and explain approximately 82% of the variance of customer patronage. The results also show evidence of a highly significant positive effect of brand image on customer patronage both directly and through its interaction with celebrity endorsement. Therefore, we conclude that brand image enhances the relationship between celebrity endorsement and customer patronage in the consumer goods industry in Rivers State.Based on these findings, we recommend that consumer goods companies in Rivers State should advertise their products using only well-known celebrities that are credible, trustworthy, knowledgeable and whose physical appearances match with the products that are being promoted.

Key words: Celebrity Endorsement, Celebrity Fit, Celebrity Credibility, Celebrity Expertise, Customer Patronage.

I.INTRODUCTION

Celebrities are influential media figures who are seen as part of social elites and engage in public relations (Hu, Parsa& Self, 2010). People often believe that objects that are owned or touched by celebrities are valuable and are willing to pay high amounts to possess them even when those objects are mere artifacts (Newman & Bloom, 2013).
This is because, celebrities are often