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. Second, self-brand connection partly mediates the effect of endorser credibility on endorsed brand equity, supporting<br>an indirect mechanism of brand equity enhancement.<br>Practical implications – Managers can now consider using celebrities as tools to develop meaningful self-concept-related connections with<br>consumers. Additionally, the results of this study support for the use of celebrity endorsers as direct brand equity-enhancing tools.<br>Originality/value – This study is among pioneering investigations that examine the self-concept repercussions of celebrity endorsements,<br>suggesting that celebrity endorsers possess the ability to engage with consumers at the self-concept level, in turn, impacting endorsed brand equity.<br>Additionally, this paper examines the direct and indirect mechanisms by which celebrities influence consumer-based brand equity of the endorsed<br>brand.<br>Keywords SEM, USA, Moderation, Celebrity endorsement, Brand equity, Self-brand connection<br>Paper type Research paper