RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Trustworthiness Trumps Attractiveness and Expertise
JF Journal of Advertising Research
JO J Advert Res
FD WARC
SP JAR-2017-042
DO 10.2501/JAR-2017-042
A1 Stephen W. Wang
A1 Angeline Close Scheinbaum
YR 2017
UL http://www.journalofadvertisingresearch.com/content/early/2017/11/09/JAR-2017-042.abstract
AB Building on source-credibility theory, the authors tested a structural model for advertisers and scholars to explain brand outcomes of celebrity endorsement. The empirical context is the global airline industry, with a fitting sample surveyed at an international airport (N = 637). Results of structural equation analyses show that consumers' perception of a celebrity endorser's attractiveness and trustworthiness brought a lift in brand attitude, brand credibility, and purchase intention toward endorsed brands. The contribution to source-credibility theory is the finding that endorser trustworthiness was the only component of source credibility that was important to low-involvement consumers. The takeaway for advertisers in this industry is to use attractive celebrity endorsers with a global appeal who are trustworthy to enhance brand credibility.