Priming effect of celebrities on consumer response toward endorsed brands: an experimental investigation

Moving beyond the concept of congruence between celebrity image and brand image, this study explores a new domain in which to investigate the match-up hypothesis. Specifically, this study aims to understand the extent to which consumers engage in more indulgent behavior when participants are primed with a celebrity with a certain perceived lifestyle.

Two independent experiments were undertaken to observe consumer reactions to advertisements using celebrities as priming stimulus. Experiment 1 featured a 2 (perceived celebrity lifestyle) × 3 (celebrity persuasion style) between-subjects design, while a follow-up study featured a 2 (celebrity’s on-screen portrayal) × 3 (celebrity persuasion style) between-subjects factorial design.

Results support the proposition that celebrities cause priming effects such that consumers’ attitude and willingness to spend (WTS) on the endorsed brand depends on their perception of the celebrity’s lifestyle. Participants exposed to a perceived high-flamboyant-lifestyle celebrity had a more positive attitude toward the endorsed brand and were more willing to spend money when the celebrity used a “spend money” persuasion style than when the celebrity used a “save money” persuasion style in endorsements. Findings of a follow-up study suggest that exposure to a celebrity playing a flamboyant character on-screen was seen to be associated with a positive attitude toward the brand and increased WTS, than exposure to a celebrity playing a less flamboyant character on-screen.

Although effects of person primes are evidenced in the literature, previous studies are silent on the impact of presenting celebrities as priming stimulus. This study extends the idea of priming using a social category that has not been explored before, namely, celebrities and explores the effect that celebrity priming has on activating specific consumer response behavior.