Can a Celebrity Serve as an Issue-Relevant Argument in the Elaboration Likelihood Model?

While celebrity endorsement has been traditionally perceived as a peripheral cue in the elaboration likelihood model, several conceptual studies suggest otherwise that it may play a significant role in delivering issue-relevant information when celebrity-product congruence exists. The current study provides empirical evidence that a celebrity indeed serves as an issue-relevant argument by investigating the interaction effects between endorser-product congruence and product involvement on consumer responses in two different match-up conditions. Moderated regression analysis results indicated that product involvement strengthened the effect of expertise-based endorser-product congruence on consumer responses. However, the relationship between attractiveness-based endorser-product congruence and consumer responses generated insignificant results. Research findings entail that a celebrity persuades consumers through the central route when the expert image in particular fits well with the endorsed product. Further analyses indicated that attitude toward the brand mediated the relationship between attitude toward the advertisement and purchase intention in both match-up environments. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.