This study examined the effects of celebrity endorsement on perceived endorser credibility in Japanese over-the-counter (OTC) drug advertising featuring multiple celebrity categories based on congruency theory. In particular, this research explored brand-endorser congruence and endorser-consumer congruence and their roles in advertising-related attitudes development. A 3 (endorser categories: actor/actress, athlete, talent/TV personality) x 2 (endorser’s gender) factorial experimental design with 480 Japanese consumers was used in the study. The results indicated that in Japanese OTC drug advertising, actors/actresses and athletes were seen as more credible than talents (TV personalities). Endorser categories also had a significant association with identification with the endorser through ideal self-congruency. Additionally, perceived endorser credibility mediated the relationship between identification and advertising evaluations.
Saturday March 24, 2018 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
Financial 2
