Abstract

The endorsement marketing strategy has proven to be a very effective way to forge strong relationships with consumers, as well as stimulate stronger brand and product preferences and purchase intentions. There are two main types of endorsers that are commonly used in practice: celebrities and social media influencers. While both have been shown to have substantial persuasive power, there exist nuances in when and how each type of endorser impacts consumer outcomes. This paper aims to compare the effects of celebrity versus social media influencer endorsers on customers’ attitude toward promoted products and their purchase intentions, taking into consideration the moderating role of product type (everyday product vs. luxury product) and examining the mediating role of perceived endorser-product fit. Two online surveys (N= 590, N=572) were conducted and the results showed that 1) compared to celebrity endorsers, social media influencers have a stronger positive effect on product attitude and purchase intention for everyday products, but only among male customers, 2) this relationship was mediated by perceptions of endorser-product fit, and 3) celebrity and influencer endorsers did not differentially impact consumer attitude and purchase intention for luxury products. Unfortunately, we did not find any significant results for the female sample.