Celebrity Endorsement, Self-Brand Connection and Consumer-Based Brand Equity

Abstract<br>Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of celebrity endorser credibility on consumer self-brand connection and endorsed<br>brand equity. A conceptual model is developed, positioning consumer self-brand connections as a partial mediator of the effect of endorser credibility<br>on endorsed brand equity.<br>Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey of 382 consumers of sports drinks in the USA was conducted to estimate the conceptual<br>model. Stimuli, devised on the basis of a pre-test, involved celebrity– brand pairings in the context of the US sports drinks industry. Structural<br>equation modeling is used as the analytic tool.<br>Findings – The research model is empirically supported. Celebrity endorsements impact endorsed brand equity via two pathways. First, a direct<br>effect of endorser credibility on endorsed brand equity was observed, which is positively moderated by the degree of consumer-perceived<br>endorser– brand congruence. Se