The Effectiveness of Celebrity Endorsements: A Meta-Analysis

• In Event: Advances in the Study of Advertising and Branding

Abstract

Celebrities frequently endorse products, brands, political candidates, or health campaigns. The authors investigated the effectiveness of such endorsements by meta-analyzing 40 studies published through June 2015 involving 8,209 participants. The studies encompassed for-profit and non-profit communication and used multilevel meta-analysis. Findings revealed celebrity endorsements had no effect on average (d = .05). However, strong positive and negative effects appeared when theoretically relevant moderators were included in the analysis. The most positive attitudinal effects appeared for male actors matching with an implicitly endorsed object (d = 1.28). The most negative effects were with female models not matched with an explicitly endorsed object (d = -1.28). Furthermore, celebrity endorsements performed worse compared to endorsements of quality seals, awards, or endorser brands. No publication bias was detected. The study has practical implications and provides an agenda for future research.

Authors

• Johannes Knoll, University of Vienna

• Jorg Matthes, U of Vienna