INFLUENCE OF CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT ON THE PURCHASE INTENTION OF THE UNDERGRADUATES

ABSTRACT

This study which is anchored on the principles of the Source Credibility Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood model, investigated the influence of celebrity endorsement on the purchase intentions of undergraduates at the University of Benin, Benin City. This study became necessary due to the fact that celebrity endorsements have long been a popular marketing strategy that is routinely used in a wide range of businesses regardless of the target demographic. Hence, it became imperative to empirically determine how celebrity endorsement influence undergraduates at the University of Benin’s intention to make purchase. Using the survey design, questionnaire was employed to collect data from 371 undergraduate students at the University of Benin in Benin City through three stages using the simple random, stratified and simple sampling procedure. It was discovered that while Uniben undergraduates are exposed to celebrity endorsement, its influence on their purchase intention depends on a number of factors, which includes the celebrity's credibility, the level of trust the consumer has in celebrities who endorse products or brands, and the type of product or brand being endorsed, suggesting that other factors like price, product quality, and personal preference may be prioritized over an endorsed product. Thus, this study concludes that undergraduates' motivation and ability to process information when making purchase decisions, as well as the credibility of a celebrity, all affect how successful celebrity endorsements are in advertisement and how it influences their purchase intention.