SPOKESCHARACTERS How the Personality Traits of Sincerity, Excitement, and Competence Help to Build Equity

The effects of spokescharacter personality characteristics on key elements of brand equity are hypothesized and tested in two studies. More specifically, two studies assess the role of the spokescharacter personality characteristics of excitement, sincerity, and competence in affecting brand trust, brand attitude, and willingness to pay a price premium (WPPP). Study 1 results show that excitement and sincerity directly and indirectly affect brand attitude, brand trust, and WPPP. Furthermore, sincerity is more positively linked to brand trust than is excitement. Study 2 results show that a spokescharacter designed in a manner to evoke greater perceived sincerity has a stronger positive impact on trust, brand attitude, and WPPP than a spokescharacter designed to evoke greater competence. Overall, these findings demonstrate that personality-laden spokescharacters featured in advertising campaigns can strengthen these equity-related constructs found important in enhancing consumer-brand relationships. Implications for brand and advertising managers are offered.