Celebrity endorsement and brand passion among air travelers: Theory and evidence. (February 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gilal, Faheem Gul; Paul, Justin; Gilal, Naeem Gul; Gilal, Rukhsana Gul
• Is Part Of: International journal of hospitality management. Volume 85(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-02
• Subjects: Celebrity credibility -- Brand passion -- Relatedness needs satisfaction -- Celebrity-user gender congruity -- Air travelers; Hotel management -- Periodicals; Restaurant management -- Periodicals; Food service management -- Periodicals; Hôtels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Restaurants -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Services alimentaires -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Food service management; Hotel management; Restaurant management; Periodicals; 647.94
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.102347
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0278-4319

Abstract

Highlights: The influence of brand characteristics on a consumer passion for a brand is firmly established in the literature. However, social influencing factors (i.e., celebrity endorsement) to the formation of brand passion remain largely untapped in tourism and hospitality literature. The present study contributes to the tourism and hospitality literature by examining the influence of celebrity endorsement on brand passion using data from air travelers. Among three aspects of celebrity credibility were assessed, celebrity attractiveness had the greatest effect on consumer relatedness need satisfaction. Consumer relatedness needs satisfaction (which is backed by celebrity attractiveness and expertise) had the strongest effect on airline brand passion among travelers. It is perspicacious that the tourism and hospitality industry chose a female celebrity endorser over a male celebrity endorser when they aim at targeting male customers, and vice versa. Abstract: The influence of brand characteristics on a consumer passion for a brand is firmly established in the literature. However, celebrity endorsers influence to the formation of brand passion remains largely untapped. Using three theoretical lenses- source credibility theory, relationship motivation theory, and congruity theory, the present study examines the influence of celebrity endorsement on brand passion using data from air travelers. To this end, we involved (n = 432) airline passengers to test the hypotheses in the service context. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling techniques were used as methods. When celebrity attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness were assessed, celebrity attractiveness was appeared to have the strongest influence on air travelers' brand passion via relatedness need satisfaction. The moderation analysis reveals that the effect of celebrity attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness on relatedness needs satisfaction is salient when the celebrity and user having the opposite gender. Finally, implications for policy, research and practice are discussed.