Academic Master

English

Source credibility theory and the extent to which celebrity endorsement influence consumer behavior Use of Instagram to promote Source Credibility for e-Marketing

Introduction

[Instagram] “Is a relevant channel upon which to focus due to the site’s recent decision to expand its advertising platforms, in so doing, revenue generated from advertisements on Instagram is expected to reach $2.81bn in 2017 – greater than both Twitter and Google in the USA. Individuals spend more time on Instagram than other similar sites, suggesting it is of importance to research this media type. Instagram reported more than 400 million monthly active users” (Djafarova & Rushworth, 2017, p. 2).

Since the establishment of online social media in the early 21st century, it has become one of the most widely recognized mass media for the transmission of information and interaction (Westerman, Spence & Van Der Heide, 2014). Social Media provides global and categorized accessibility, bringing the like-minded users together by providing them with a common platform that diminishes the geographic constraints and limitations. Using these features of social media, marketers have made extensive use of this platform for marketing, endorsement and advertisement purposes. While all social media platforms have been used for marketing purposes to some extent, Instagram has made online marketing more comprehensive with integrated source credibility since the posts on Instagram cannot be replicated or reposted without giving original linkage to the original poster.

Since its inception, marketers have made exceptional use of Instagram for marketing and endorsement purposes. It is mainly used by adolescents and youngsters who have moved from conventional media to social media platforms for better association, engagement and access to credible sources of information. The marketers have been encouraged to use Instagram as a primary social media marketing platform because of its features that promote a sense of credibility and reliability of the source. According to Djafarova & Rushworth (2017):

“EWOM on Instagram has grown to become a persuasive and influential information source due to the emerging popularity of this social media and accessibility via smartphones and other devices. Celebrity endorsements are considered credible sources in generating a positive eWOM regarding particular products and services” (Djafarova & Rushworth, 2017, p. 2).

Observing the sponsored marketing campaigns on Instagram by the celebrities, it is evident that marketers have collaborated with celebrities to engage and interact with their followers and followers through social media platform. Because of its more extensive effort, particularly with a more interactivity, and its low costs, social media has been embraced likewise by marketers for the advancement of their products and brands. Celebrity Endorsers are defined by McCracken (1989) as “any individual who enjoys public recognition and who uses this recognition when they appear in the advertisement, in front of the consumers” (p. 310). Furthermore, celebrity endorsers also have personal characteristics such as attractiveness and trustworthiness that ensures the development of source credibility and consumer following (McCracken, 1989). This is the reason that celebrity endorsers are considered one of the most effective promotional approaches to developing brand perception and image by influencing consumer perceptions.

Marketers spend significant resources as well as develop strategies for effective utilization of social media platforms to ensure source credibility, promotion and development of consumer perception (Appiah &Missedia, 2016). This is because “Consumers perceive individuals with a large number of subscribers as more attractive and trustworthy, this is in line with Source Credibility Theory and relates to the electronic word of mouth (eWOM)” (Djafarova& Rushworth, 2017, p. 2). Subsequently, there is a need for the marketers to guarantee that these endorsements are successful and generate significant revenue as well. Thisstudy will aim to identify the factors influencing celebrity endorsement through social media platforms such as Instagram. The thesis aims to decide how celebrities areusing social media to promote and endorse the brands with whom they have contracted by creating a specific brand image and perception amongst their consumers.

A review of relevant literature reveals that consumer perception is more likely to be shaped by the image of the celebrity as well as the credibility of the source through marketing intelligence and intellectualism. According to Westernman et al. (2014):

“Social media are a general category of channels and applications that highlight acollaboration and working together to create and distribute content. This collaboration not only consists of creating content together but also discussing the content in an attempt to improve it collaboratively and to come to a shared understanding of it. Thus, social media are built upon a fundamental characteristic of Web 2.0: they are sites for harnessing collective intelligence” (p. 1).

For this purpose, the influence/impact of celebrity endorsements through Instagram will be measured. The review of literature further demonstrated that previous consumer dispositions can likewise anticipate their states of mind towards commercials. The factors that will be assessed and considered in this thesis related to celebrity endorsements through Instagram will include source credibility, consumer integrity, interactivity and engagement level of the celebrities and the believability of the content being promoted.

The findings of this research study will be valuable to marketers as it will help them in their choice of celebrity endorsers by expressing the critical attributes that the celebrity must-have. Furthermore, this research study will likewise give a concise understanding, by comparing the viability of celebrity endorsements on Instagram, for the better social media platform to be utilized given the marketing goals.

Statement of Problem and Context

The purpose of this study is to bring the source credibility argument to bear on the extent to which celebrity endorsements achieve branding objectives, especially concerning influencing consumer-brand behaviour. Literature suggests that the credibility of the brand can be accentuated by the credibility of the endorser, more so, when there is some level of congruence between brand and endorser (and to some extent, the content of the communication message) (Kemp, 2007; Jagre, Watson and Watson, 2001). Use of celebrities as the spokesperson for brands is very popular in contemporary society (Spry, Pappu& Cornwell, 2011; Pughazhendi& Ravindran, 2012). There are multiple pieces of evidence regarding the use of celebrities to endorse brands and have a positive effect the strategies to developbrand equity. That being said, while there have been studies on the relationship between use of celebrity endorsers and consumer behavior (see e.g. Albert & Valette-Florence (2017), Appiah & Missedja (2016), Bhargava (2015)), this research will specifically focus on the source credibility and reliability of the content that is being promoted by the celebrities through Instagram. The argument looks to validate the notion that credibility is an important consumer decision-making consideration, and that this consideration is inextricably linked to the source, which is the basis of source credibility theory.

The study aims to understand the relationship between the source credibility and the consumer behaviour for the celebrities endorsing through Instagram to establish a relationship between the mix of brand credibility, endorser credibility and message credibility and the extent to which a brand grows its equity and improves its market performance. It appreciates the McLuhan position of ‘media is the message’ in the determination of sources, and with the rise of social media as a veritable platform, not just for social networking but also for business-to-consumer (Kapoor et al., 2013). While the issue of the source changes because of the ‘user-generated’ focus of content generation on social media, including Instagram, the extent to which this social media platform plays up the ‘attractiveness’ aspect of credibility, coupled with the fact that it is one of the most used platforms by celebrities to engage with their followers (Burke, 2017; Wright, 2015), makes it a focus for consideration of this research. Based on the preceding, this study assesses the extent to which source credibility theory explains the level to which celebrity endorsements influence consumer behaviour and impact on brand equity. This can be further evaluated through consumer perception of the brand, consumer decision-making capabilities, and brand equity.

Recent research into celebrity endorsement for successful brand marketing has not yet fully accounted for the changes which social media is producing, nor has it investigated the specific ways that individual social media platforms themselves influence the perception of the credibility of celebrities as sources for positive marketing messages. Instagram, as my research will show, has particular features and patterns of use which emphasise the interaction between source, message and consequential effect on consumer decision making. Thus, the focus on source credibility, and understanding how users of Instagram perceive and understand the credibility of celebrity sources is essential to this work.

Research Aims and Objectives

The aim of this research is to identify the features of Instagram that add source credibility and reliability to the celebrity endorsements – making it one of the most effective influencers for consumer perceptions regarding the brand image and positioning.

Following will be the research objectives:

  • Identifying the purpose of social media marketing
  • Identifying association of celebrity endorsers, social media marketing and product perceptions.
  • Evaluating Instagram as one of the most effective social media marketing platforms that add credibility and reliability to the content.

Research Questions

This research project focuses on understanding the way that celebrity brand endorsement occurs via Instagram, and it aims to address the following questions.

The primary research question will be:

  • How does Instagram support Source Credibility Theory that allows the Celebrity Endorsers to create a positive impact on consumer behaviour and brand perception?

The secondary or guiding questions for this research will be:

  • How does Instagram promote source credibility?
  • How do celebrities maintain source credibility through Instagram?

In answering these questions, my research will investigate how our established conceptual knowledge of what makes for successful celebrity endorsement (including for example that effective brand communication depends on the attractiveness and trustworthiness of the celebrity, and their congruity with the brand) is either confirmed or changed when looking at the specific case of endorsement through Instagram.

Ultimately, my research will focus on the question of the “sociable image”, being the representation of celebrity through a platform which privileges the production, sharing, and social interaction around single images.

Background

Consumer purchasing conduct is impacted by social, consumer, and psychological components that must be considered keeping in mind the end goal to adequately market to consumers as these are the factors “the factors or variables considered in selecting a celebrity or making a purchase; the extent to which a celebrity’s endorsement influences consumers’ purchase or re-buy behaviour; as well as its influence generally on marketing promotions” (Dzisah&Ocloo, 2013, p. 1). Furthermore, applying the consumers’ social and psychologicalperceptions to the web and social media, marketers can better see how these components impact online consumer product recognition. Dzisah&Ocloo (2013) characterizes social impact their research study

“Concluded on the positive relationships celebrity endorsement has with consumer behaviour and marketing promotions in general. It recommended that companies using celebrities should ensure that the celebrities match the brand, that is, the celebrity must have the value and image required to advertise the brand. It is only when adverts are matched up by attractiveness and expertise that the brand attitude would be more favourable and find greater purchase intentions” (p. 1).

This outcome from consumers’ thought processes to either be in line or strife with social standards. This makes people change their dispositions and practices given the sentiments of the greater part or from an association with somebody that they see as comparable. Consumers tend to put stock in specialists for particular points. For instance, an individual could search out a social media celebrity endorser in form to see review and develop a perception (brand image) before making a purchase decision.

Seeing how social media impacts a consumers’ basic leadership process and product observation includes looking at the social implications that consumers ascribe to products and brand administrators, and the starting points of their implications. Mansour & Diab (2016) suggested that products were obtained for pragmatic reasons, as well as for their potential social importance. The significance or picture the product shows is a source of significant worth. Social implications ascribed to brands often start from the feelings of individuals around consumers, which impacts product observation and purchasing expectation (Mansour & Diab, 2016). Social impact changes the definition and importance of a question. Conclusions and convictions of others influence consumers’ understanding or emotions about a product or brand.

The consumer receives the convictions and practices of people who are persuasive to the consumer (Sultan & Mannan, 2015). According to Sultan & Mannan (2015):

“The matching of the celebrity with the brand might look simple but development of those advertisements which have the desired match of brand attributes with the characteristics of the celebrity and then achieving success in the form of the achievement of desired results of the advertising campaigns requires detailed understandings of the objectives which company has made for the brand, choice of the appropriate celebrity for the brand and development of the appropriate basis for measuring the success of the brand.” (p. 95)

Distinguishing proof impact happens when there is an association with a source through a specific conduct and proceeds as long as the source is as yet pertinent. At the point when a consumer respects a quality around an individual, they will attempt to copy them since they want a relationship. This method is utilized as a part of celebrity endorsements; consumers buy the product keeping in mind the end goal to resemble the celebrity they appreciate (Jaiswal & Gupta, 2015). As a person who takes a social media celebrity endorser, they would purchase aproduct to be more similar to the social media celebrity endorser.

The marketing principles are based on the consumer perceptions that also help the marketers to develop appropriate strategies and policies. This happens when somebody acts in a way that copies other’s practices and suppositions to pick up somebody’s endorsement and to get criticism that they settled on the right choice. These capacities can be grouped into enlightening social impact and regularizing social impact.

Conceptual Framing

This review aims to establish a conceptual understanding of the relationship between the source credibility model and why brands use celebrity endorsers to push their branding efforts, especially concerning building brand equity and influencing purchase intention/consumer-brand behavior.

Following is a developed conceptual framework that would guide this research:

Consumer Behavior/Decision

Branding Strategy

Figure: Conceptual Framework for Analysing Celebrity Impact on Social Media Endorsements (self-created)

Social Comparison Theory

Festinger’s (1954) social comparison theory (SCT) accepts that individuals want to compare themselves to others keeping in mind the end goal to perceive how their marketing competencies are developed. Scientists have discovered that people compare themselves to exact self-assessment, self-upgrade, and self-change (Jaiswal & Gupta, 2015). SCT is seen as a critical choice process where norms are considered and chosen for comparison. At the point when a consumer is focused around an issue or product decision, the consumer will intentionally compare themselves with people who they see as like affirm their decision and settle their self-assessment. This is regular for dress and design buy because it is a visual product, which makes it simple to compare to others. Unconstrained social comparison happens unconsciously and shapes self-assessment notwithstanding when there was no particular objective.

Social comparison exists since individuals think about how others will respond to or see their activities (Albert, Ambroise& Valette-Florence, 2017). Amid comparisons, consumers select a consumer or gathering to go about as a kind of perspective gathering. A reference gathering can be commonplace or like the consumer in their capacity, for example, a relative, friend or collaborator. They can likewise be better than the consumer, for example, a celebrity. Adolescents and the consumer segments that are specifically class and status conscious are more likely to be influenced by the celebrities endorsing the specific brand. A reference aggregate is utilized for instance when an individual assesses capacities, states of mind, or convictions. A person’s view of themselves depends on where they remain in relationship to others.

People compare themselves positively and negatively to others as “Marketers also claim that a celebrity affects the credibility of claims about a product and increases the memorabilia factor of the message, which may provide a positive effect that could be generalized to the brand” (Malik &Guptha, 2014, p. 1). Individuals can utilize comparisons to somewhat better people than acquire learning on the most proficient method to enhance oneself. Positive comparisons to others can be utilized for self-improvement or self-pay.

A good comparison happens when a consumer compares himself or herself to somebody who they see as less fruitful, which brings about an expansion in positive confidence. Positive comparison deliver positive outcomes, for example, expanded confidence.

Also, Social ComparisonTheory (SCT) will be applied in cases of both the physical (electronic media such as television) and virtual world (social media platforms). In the physical world, people get data from reference gatherings, for example, friends or celebrities. However, these are produced from online groups, social media celebrity endorsers, or online celebrities. The tendency to social comparison online is how much an individual tends to compare his or her feelings with others and be impacted by others, especially when shopping on the web. ‘Tendency to Social Comparison Online’ takes place when consumers feel a bond with an online source and acknowledges the data they give aproduct. Research demonstrates that individuals’ suppositions and compliments influence consumer buy conduct and consumers can likewise be impacted when they are communicating online. At the point when a consumer assesses aproduct, they are new to and can’t evaluate the product through direct perception and contact; the consumer will see the reactions of different consumers concerning the product and utilize that data to settle on a choice. This data can be paralleled online through social media celebrity endorser recommendations, social media celebrity endorser posts, or online consumer surveys.

Albeit a great part of the examination beforehand checked on here does not concentrate on the qualities clients scan for when following a social media celebrity endorser, the exploration demonstrates that people look for others to compare themselves to, keeping in mind the end goal to enhance confidence or for self-change. This is important as “The thrust is on attracting the consumer’s purchase intention and developing positive associations not just to retain their purchasing power but also to induce to attract the new consumers.” (Randhawa & Khan, 2014, p. 171). Like disconnected cooperation’s, it can be assumed people would take after social media celebrity endorsers with regular likenesses or attributes to themselves with either a relative or higher social status keeping in mind the end goal to give an inclination that change in their life is conceivable. Usually, the consumers replicate the attitude of the celebrities they are following; inspired by their glamour and global recognition.

Source Credibility Model

The Source Credibility Model belongs to the domain of social science research that claims that the effectiveness of the message is dependent on the perceived level of expertise, reliability, and credibility of the endorser (Mikuláš and Světlík, 2016).Considering the context of the research study, Ohanian Model of Source credibility can be referred (Ohanian, 1991). According to this model, the source credibility is strongly associated with the information being endorsed and the medium of communication (Eisend, 2006, p. 3). The premise of this claim of the model is the generation of information from a credible and reliable source that has the capability of having a favorable effect on the believes, opinions, reviews, attitudes, perceptions and responses behaviors of the consumers through the process of internalization (Mikuláš and Světlík, 2016). Following is the Ohanian Source Credibility Model that can be referred in this context:

Image result for ohanian model of source credibility

Figure: Ohanian Model of Source Credibility (Canning, 2006)

According to the Source Credibility Model, there are two main factors affecting the credibility of the celebrity endorser, i.e., perceived expertise and the trustworthiness (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2015). Expertness of the endorser can be described as the level and range of consumer abilities, skills, knowledge, and information about the specific domain (Mikuláš and Světlík, 2016). The level of reliability of celebrity determines the perception of the brand by the consumer. The actual reliability level of the celebrity, however, does not matter here (Hung, 2014), it is the image of the celebrity that matters more. It is his perceived experienced and consumer perception that creates an illusion of intimacy and engagement for the consumers (Hung, 2014). Furthermore, the use of celebrities also promotes better information recall as compared to non-celebrity experts (Hung, 2014). Secondly, the level of trustworthiness is described as the level of honesty, believability, and integrity of the endorser depending on the perception of the target audiences (Roy &Bagdare, 2015). This is the level of trustworthiness that marketers take the value of for endorsing their product and impacting the consumer perception in the desired manner (Roy &Bagdare, 2015). For instance, the marketers tend to choose celebrities that are considered honest, reliable, dependable and believable to their target audiences.

The Halo Effect

Another theory that will be used to support the research motivation is the Halo Effect Theory will also be used to develop the conceptual framework for the research. This theory will help in understanding the factors that impact the cognitive biasness in consumers based on the consumer perception of the celebrity endorsers. In other words, this theory promotes how the consumer character of the celebrity endorser can impact the reputation of the brand and the consumer perceptions (Roy &Bagdare, 2015).

Halo effect is formally described as a subjective inclination in which an eyewitness’ general impression of a man, organization, brand, or product impacts the followers’ sentiments and considerations about that substance’s character or properties (Rosenzweig, 2014, p.5).

Edward Thorndike named it about an individual being seen as having a halo. Succeeding analysts have considered this in connection to engaging quality and its bearing on the consumerism (Rosenzweig, 2014). The halo effect is a sure kind of affirmation predisposition, wherein positive sentiments in a single range make impartial or questionable qualities be seen a positive way. Edward Thorndike initially begat the term alluding especially to individuals; notwithstanding, consequently its utilization has been extended broadly in the range of brand marketing (Rosenzweig, 2014).

The halo effect can work in both positive and also negative manner. Marketing is the main domain in which halo effect is broadly utilized. It has a comfortable association with marketing. It clarifies the biasness of the clients towards specific brands or products in light of some lovely or ideal involvement with some different brands or products offered by a similar producer.

A “halo effect” happens when aproduct or an organization discover marketing accomplishment because of its relationship with a fruitful product, organization or some other conspicuous component. On the off chance that the halo effect is utilized effectively, it can help an organization to spare cash on marketing by utilizing energy made beforehand by the organization, to achieve an intended interest group.

The Congruity Theory

Also, the Congruity Theory by Osgood and Tannanbaum (1955) presents a framework of correlation that emphasizes on the communication, persuasion and the consumer as a message source (celebrity endorser in our case). With the combination of these three theories, a precise conceptual framework for our research can be developed.

The ‘Self-Congruity Theory’ recommends that the idealness of brand states of mind and inspiration to buy the brand increments as the similitude or congruence between one’s self-picture and a brand’s picture increments (Pradhan et al. 2017). Different examinations covering an extensive variety of products and administrations have additionally indicated help for the self-mark congruity theory. What’s more, they have demonstrated that this congruence additionally influences mark fulfillment, passionate connection, inclination, buy goals, and decision.

Self-Congruity Theory

Self-congruity theory recommends that a consumer’s view of a brand originates from the reasonable esteem it offers and the representative significance it conveys (Pradhan et al. 2017). The self-congruity theory is the match between the product’s esteem expressive qualities (product client picture) and the group of onlookers’ self-idea. Self-congruity, in connection to brands, is the level of congruency between a consumer’s supposition of a brand or product and the feeling they have of themselves.

Consumers search for congruency between product client and self-idea keeping in mind the end goal to fulfil confidence, self-consistency, and social endorsement. The sentiment self-congruity originates from the requirement for self-consistency, which is a self-recognition inspiration, which impacts individuals to act in ways that are consistent with how they see themselves (Pradhan et al. 2017).

Self-congruity provides the marketers with information of consumers to better position products in ways that pull in the consumer. Having the capacity to build up a congruence with a social media celebrity endorser for the focused on the group of followers will permit marketing administrators to build up an image and perception that is congruent with the intended interest group (Kasana& Chaudhary, 2014). It appears to be likely that Instagram users would look for social media celebrity endorsers that are compatible with consumer psychology and purchase decision. By deciding whether self-congruity is associated with social media celebrity endorsers and product recognition this exploration could give associations the data expected to target better social media celebrity endorsers that will evoke a coveted product discernment.

Methodology and Research Approach

Research Design and Approach

The research study intends to analyse the way Instagram has changed the way in which celebrities can interact with their followers and the way in which the markers and endorsers have utilised this change to ensure that these features and characteristics of Instagram are being utilised most efficiently for marketing and endorsement purposes. Considering the sociological nature of the research, the most appropriate approach for research will be qualitative research design.

This research study will implement the qualitative research method to meet the research goals and objectives. The point of qualitative research is to give a more prominent comprehension of that which should be examined. In qualitative research, the objective is to touch base at measurably substantial conclusions, rather pick up bits of knowledge and manufacture hypothesis. Detailed and comprehensive interviews will be utilised to investigate the implications behind Instagram clients’ exchanges. The participants will be randomly chosen through online mediums. The online mediums that will be used for choosing the participants will be through Facebook and Instagram promotional pages. This will enable us to target the random participants who are likely to be followers of Instagram as well as other online e-marketing social media networks, providing us with a diverse yet comprehensive overview of why Instagram is changing the way celebrities interact and endorse brands through Instagram as compared to other social networking sites. 50 participants will be randomly chosen belonging to the age group of 18 to 32 years old. Such an approach gives excellent wellsprings of information in exploratory research. Regarding generalization, qualitative investigations will be described by dependence on setting and the way that they don’t try to be representative of a bigger populace (Lindlof& Taylor, 2017).

The Grounded Theory

To better compose and relate to the research study, the Grounded Theory will be applied. The grounded Theory enables the researcher to personally relate the observations and experiences with the data being collected and analyzed. The purpose of grounded theory is based on the idea that the

“Researchers needed a method that would allow them to move from data to theory, so that new theories could emerge. Such theories would be specific to the context in which they had been developed. They would be ‘grounded’ in the data from which they had emerged rather than rely on analytical constructs, categories or variables from pre-existing theories. Grounded theory, therefore, was designed to open up a space for the development of new, contextualized theories” (Strauss & Corbin, 1994, p. 69).

The approach followed in this examination is the one proposed by Glaser and Strauss (2009). The grounded theory is known as the disclosure of theory from information (Glaser and Strauss, 2009), and it gives expectations, interpretations, clarifications, and applications. Its name comes because of the accentuation on the age of theory and the information on which that theory is grounded. Its emphasis isn’t just on gathering the information, yet also on sorting out the thoughts that have surfaced while conducting the information investigation.

Grounded theory is the method used to direct the investigation in this postulation, which will empower examination of the Instagram features by uncovering the developing endorsement subjects through celebrities. The choice to utilise this method depended on its capacity to take into accountand to break down the example without any assumptions, while likewise having some direction concerning how they ought to approach the research goal. This specificapproach will be an arrangement of standards and evaluations that manages the outline of an exploration consider, while methods are the useful strategies that are utilised to produce and break down information in the examination. Concerning the genuine methods through which the inductive investigation will occur. Therefore, it can be stated that

“Grounded theory involves the progressive identification and integration of categories of meaning from data. It is both the process of category identification and integration (as method) and its product (as theory). Grounded theory as method provides us with guidelines on how to identify categories, how to make links between categories and how to establish relationships between them” (Strauss & Corbin, 1994, p. 70).

Grounded theory empowers the researchers to direct examination without any assumptions, while likewise giving direction to how they should approach the relics under investigation. The grounded theory incorporates ten stages to guarantee the specialist builds up a rich and far-reaching comprehension of messages. With a specific end goal to answer the research questions.

The inductive approach of grounded theory is most suitable because it inquires about investigations that furnish details concerning Instagram based celebrity endorsements. Grounded theory will distinguish the content of the endorsements utilised by the Instagram in a more viable way. The topics that arise out of a methodical, inductive investigation will be presented in form of a questionnaire to the focus groups. After the inquiries are replied, the investigation will be made of interactive appropriateness for clarifying Instagram base celebrity endorsement approaches. The reason for using this inductive way to deal with enable future to understand the way in which the Instagram has revolutionized the media marketing.

In spite of the fact that grounded theory approach does not include the utilisation of an extra theory to the exploration contemplate; it appeared to be fairly proper for this situation seeing as how this proposition was not outlined with the motivation behind creating another correspondence theory.

Data Collection

Primary information and secondary information will be the principle information development of this research to accomplish our motivation. We will begin our research by gathering data and information with a specific end goal to help meet research objectives. Secondary information is the one that has just existed and gathered by others for a reason other than the issue at hand. Contrasted with essential information, the auxiliary information is promptly accessible, modest and quick approach to get information. There are various auxiliary information sources that will be accessible to researchers, for example, academic writing, books, government distributions, electronic sources, sites and social media. Primary information is the information that will be straightforwardly gathered by researchers first time for a particular issue within reach.

As already stated, the participants will be randomly chosen through online mediums. The online mediums that will be used for choosing the participants will be through Facebook and Instagram promotional pages. This will enable us to target the random participants who are likely to be followers of Instagram as well as social media networks, providing us with a diverse yet comprehensive overview of why Instagram is changing the way celebrities interact and endorse brands through Instagram as compared to other social networking sites. 30 participants will be randomly chosen belonging to the age group of 18 to 32 years old. The interviews that will be conducted on the randomly chosen population will focus on following generic themes:

  • Their preference for using Instagram?
  • If Instagram provide them better endorsement and marketing experiences?
  • Do they prefer Instagram marketing over other sites?
  • Do they consider Instagram as a reliable and influencing endorsement medium?
  • What does Instagram lack that can improve their endorsement characteristics?
  • Are celebrities more interactive through Instagram?

Primary information can be either qualitative or quantitative. The distinction between these two specific methods is that quantitative method focuses on gathering numerical information to clarify a specific marvel, though qualitative method focuses on get-together non-numeric information to comprehend advertising issue. Qualitative research gives the capacity to pick up a rich and profound comprehension of how individuals encounter a specific research issue and offer a chance to discover individuals’ state of mind, assessment, conviction and view of specific research issues (Creswell &Poth, 2017, p. 173). The three most basic methods of gathering qualitative information will be directing focus group, top to bottom interview and perception.

In this investigation, qualitative research is done because the idea of qualitative research (Creswell &Poth, 2017, p. 173) matches with our research reason which will be to decide the adequacy of utilising celebrities in advertising and survey client’s mentality, encounters, suppositions and viewpoint towards celebrities on Instagram. Focus group method is chosen to be utilised. The explanations behind utilising focus group are the accompanying ones: the capacity to look at perspectives, points of view, and encounters. Likewise, interaction and group dynamics will be fundamental, it enlarges a scope of responses, initiates dormant points of interest, and focus group discharges restraint of members. The double mediator focus group sort will be utilized as a part of this specific approach with one driving, and one helping arbitrator. The researcher will be responsible for a smooth stream of the session, and will also be responsible for guaranteeing the scope of the considerable number of issues.

Focus Group

Focus group is based on the interview based qualitative techniques for gathering reliable research data. In this context, the focus group can be defined as “a group comprised of individuals with certain characteristics who focusdiscussions on a given issue or topic” (Anderson, 1990, p.241). Furthermore, it is also described as a

“focus group consists of a small group of people, usually between six andnine in number, who are brought together by a trained moderator (the researcher) to explore attitudes and perceptions, feelings and ideas about a topic” (Denscombe, 2007, p. 115).

The use of focus group is an effective and reliable qualitative approach as it helps in developing interviews that further help in establishing a setting for a combined group for the purpose of reflecting on the research questions and associated guiding questions. Furthermore, focus groups are an effective way of collecting data because it provides “a more natural environment than that of individual interview because participants are influencing and influenced by others- just as they are in real life” (Casey & Krueger, 2000, p. 11). Therefore, focus groups will be created for the purpose of this research study.

Four focus groups will be established. The participants will be contacted through e-mail, and phone call. Before the focus group is properly commenced, the participants will be briefly oriented about the purpose of the research and the subject. It is expected that the focus group will have 30 participants that will be carefully selected.

The interview questions will be produced in light of the reason for the examination. It will be organised into seven noteworthy measurements, for example, foundation questions, state of mind towards celebrities, disposition towards product and administration which will be advanced by celebrities, data assembling, and review, intention to purchase product/benefit, separation of subjective standard and conduct. The Questionnaire will include open-ended and semi-organised questions and will be created after a complete audit of pertinent academic writing and after getting the results from the pilot interviews. Each group dialogue will begin with a short, organised introduction, which will incorporate a concise depiction of the standard procedures, the reason for the examination and a short meaning of “celebrities.” To find an exact solution, members will be presented with a picture of micro-celebrity on Instagram and screenshot of their method for advancing aproduct. All answers will be listened painstakingly to, and members will be given a lot of time to answer the questions hence guaranteeing that no pressure will be set upon them. The appropriate responses will be recorded for each of these focus groups and used to help with precise and careful data catch and ensuing examination. The research group will start direct questioning sessions together soon after every dialogue, going over key points and illuminating the substance of articulations made by the members. The focus group discourses will be transcribed verbatim. Definite notes will be taken from the accounts and broke down for content topics, current thoughts and key points.

Following will be the major phases of our focus group session:

  • Planning and developing the agenda for the focus group
  • Composing and gathering the focus group for the session
  • Conducting the focus group
  • Recording the responses of the participants
  • Analyzing the recorded data.

Feedback Interviews

The data will be further gathered through feedback interviews that will be conducted after the focus group sessions. The chosen users will be interviewed through a carefully designed interview session. One representative from each focus group will be chosen for the feedback interview. This approach will be used for the research study because of its flexibility, multi-dimensional perspectives, etc. Interview can be defined as “a specialized form of communication between people for a specific purpose associated with some agreed subject matter” (Anderson, 1990, p.222). Interview helps in obtaining the goal related information from the individuals that are directly associated with the research subject. The interviews and the responses are emphasized on the evidences that required to be generated for achieving the research goals, aims and objectives for reaching the specific conclusion (Cohen & Manion, 2007). Interview is a significantly important approach for investigating and exploring the feelings, sentiments, attitudes and behavioral responsiveness of the selected participants.

According to Cohen et al. (2013) the interviews are a useful tool of gathering primary data because it

“Is a flexible tool for data collection, enabling multi-sensory channels to be used: verbal, non-verbal, spoken and heard. The order of the interview may be controlled while still giving space for spontaneity, and the interviewer can press not only for complete answers but also for responses about complex and deep issues. In short, the interview is a powerful implement for researchers.” (p. 409)

Considering the above-mentioned benefits of using the interviews, it is decided that they will be primarily utilized in the research study. In respective research, the interviews will be conducted in two ways i.e. face-to-face as well as through online platforms based on the availability and willingness of the chosen participants. The interview questionnaire will be carefully designed that will include both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The use of this mixed approach will help in gathering extensive data related to the subject and objectives of the research study being conducted.

Furthermore, before running the focus groups, it will be chosen to run two pilot test interviews with a specific end goal to guarantee the understandability of the questions. The respondents will be requested to assess the questions by their understandability, design, and lucidity. The input will be integrated, and the questions will be later modified. In this way, we can guarantee that the information provided during the focus groups sessions is appropriate and extensive. All the interviews will be run utilizing an indistinguishable dialect from focus groups.

Data Analysis

Content data examination will be utilized to break down the data. This method is a standout among st the most utilized methods for dissecting qualitative research (Merriam &Tisdell, 2015). Content investigation incorporates all methods that include methodical and targets distinguishing proof of specific attributes or messages keeping in mind the end goal to examine the goals. Utilizing content investigation, each focus group interview will be transcribed verbatim, and productive notes will be taken from the chronicles, and the present thoughts, key points, and developing subjects will be recorded. Important statements will be noted.

The investigation of the data will be performed by interpreting the implications of words, non-institutionalized data will be characterized into classes, and conceptualization will be utilized amid the way toward dissecting. The sound accounts gathered amid the interviews, will be written down after the experimental data will be gathered. Topics, examples, and relations of various key ideas will be recognized during the phase of data examination. Classification of mentalities towards celebrities and ideas identified with a specific state of mind will be recognized. With a specific end goal to comprehend the data gathered, each of the focus group discussions will be outlined.

Research Credibility and Reliability

When directing research, one of the fundamental battles that researchers confront will be making progress toward the most elevated quality conceivable. Both quantitative and qualitative research have their diverse criteria of evaluation. In the event of qualitative research, there are four basic segments used to assess the research reliability: credibility, dependability, confirm ability, and transfer ability (Merriam &Tisdell, 2015).

Credibility

Credibility can be characterized as an objectiveness of the data and the way researchers interpret it. Keeping in mind the end goal to improve the credibility of qualitative examination, researchers need to utilize exhibition of engagement, the perception of the methods, and also review trails (Golafshani, 2003). The engagement from the arbitrators’ side will appear by improving the unwinding climate among the members, with the goal that they would feel great and open-disapproved. Each focus group will begin with casual chitchat keeping in mind the end goal to make a friendly feeling among the respondents. Focus groups will be driven by the general questions, and some testing questions will be requested that all together get the inside and out information on a particular angle. Non-verbal communication will be utilised to observe the response of members on a specific question or proclamation and will be utilized for development and testing questions.

Dependability

Dependability can be characterized as consistency of data over comparable conditions (Golafshani, 2003). It must be accomplished through data gathering process occurring under comparable conditions and members, giving comparative results. Members will be screened by the criteria of being dynamic Instagram users. In this manner, it guaranteed the maintenance of the members’ profile among all the four focus groups. Every one of the focus groups’ settings will be same.

Confirm ability

Confirmability alludes to the capacity of researchers to give a fair-minded data given member’s responses, not on a subjective judgment of research administrators (Golafshani, 2003).

Cases of how conclusions and interpretations will be made that can demonstrate the confirmability of an examination. This can, for instance, be shown by citing a few answers and proclamations of members. Each focus group will be transcribed word by word, and the transcripts will be utilised for the further data investigation. In this specific investigation, review of literature will be utilised for the data examination and evaluation. The discoveries will be utilised straightforwardly from the data.

Transferability remains for a capacity to apply the picked-up discoveries into different settings. This implies it ought to be simple for the audiences to sum up the research done to the possess encounters. Researcher ought to give enough data keeping in mind the end goal for it to be perceived as “transferable.” In this specific research, a few proposals for administrative and academic ramifications of discoveries will be recommended which bolster the transferability of this work, and its capacity to be connected for conditions other than the ones set amid the investigation itself.

Limitations

Qualitative research method has its favorable circumstances and inconveniences (Creswell & Poth, 2017). There will be sure confinements which oblige this kind of research. It is recognized that this sort of studies gives the audiences a summed up and comprehensive viewpoint as opposed to be a decision that can be connected to any circumstance. Another confinement associated with qualitative research method will the unavoidable presence of the researchers amid the data accumulation process, and accordingly, it may have an impact on the research members (Creswell & Poth, 2017).

Appropriate sampling method which will be chosen for this investigation has its confinements too. It can sometimes prompt under-or over-representation of a specific group inside a sample. This undermines the capacity, to sum up in like manner to the picked sample.

Ethical Considerations

When conducting social research studies, it is important to consider ethics of engagement and interaction with human participants as well as other stakeholders. Inability to consider ethical considerations can create further ethical as well as legal implications for the researchers. Some of the aspects of ethics that must be considered are: risk and benefit analysis, consent of the participants, confidentiality and anonymity, and data management.

Risk-Benefit Analysis

The research study is being conducted on the features and characteristics of Instagram that allow the celebrity endorsers to better interact and influence their potential consumers and followers – enhancing the perceivability and positioning of the brand. Considering the nature and scope of the study, it can be stated that it is a “low risk” research study.

However, certain ethical considerations will be kept intact throughout the research tenure. These ethical considerations are:

Confidentiality and Anonymity

The personal details of the participants will be coded and will be kept completely anonymous.

This is very important because the questions asked during the interview and focus group sessions will be of personal preference nature. They will focus on psychological preferences of the social media users. Therefore, it is important to take necessary measures to ensure that the participants may not feel uncomfortable about personal disclosure. Therefore, their details will be kept anonymous and properly coded for integral use during the research study and data analysis.

Disclosure of Necessity Details

The participants will be briefly and comprehensively detailed about the nature and context of the research study before they participate in the research willingly.

Furthermore, to make sure that the ethics of confidentiality and privacy are kept intact for the participants, without making them feel uncomfortable, the participants will be informed of the details, subject, goals, and objectives of the research through an invitation letter that will be sent through e-mail.

Consent and Agreement

The participants will have to enter the consensual agreement (written).

Furthermore, to protect the confidentiality of the research being conducted, the participants will have to enter a no-objection agreement according to which they will not be allowed to publicly share the details of the session. Furthermore, this agreement will be written and will have all the detailed terms and conditions of the research and associated data. This will allow us to ensure quality and originality of the research paper as well as protect the privacy of the participants without any uncertainty and ambiguity.

Data Management

The gathered information and data will not be given, transferred or sold to any other stakeholder, party, etc.

One of the main ethical consideration of this research will be that the data gathered from the participants will not be disseminated for secondary uses such as sold to third parties and other stakeholders that can misuse the data. For this purpose, once the results have been driven, the raw data will be destroyed to ensure integrity and confidentiality of the research. In case of any issues, the legal approach can be opted to ensure complete confidentiality of the data. Data would be stored in a portable drive and kept in Deakin University Library for safe keeping and would be destroyed after 5years.

Timeline

Action Time Period Task Involved
Confirmation March 2018 Public/ Private presentation of research work to be done during candidature
Ethics Application April 2018 Complete ethics application form and include all supporting documents.
Recruitment of participant on social media platform (Instagram Facebook) May2018 to June 2018 Creating a creative and appealing advert on the mentioned platform and building a data base of interested participant and preparing for the actual purpose of recruiting the participant for the research purpose.
Two pilot Interviews July 2018 Get two participant who would test run question for focus group, to see if the questions would be able to achieve its sole purpose for the research.
Modification of Questions from test pilot interviews July 2018 Questions would be modified were necessary after the successful completion of Test interviews.
Focus Group sessions August 2018 to October 2018 Focus group interview sessions would be conducted with participants selected for the research.
Interviews (follow- Up) November 2018 to December 2018 One on one interview would be done with some members of the recruited participants to better get an individual perspective on the research topic.
Complete all data Collection January 2019 All pending data collection for the methods would be completed within this aid period.
Data analysis February 2019 to June 2019 All Data collected would be analysed within this period from, pilot interviews, focus group an Interviews.
Writing Thesis July 2019 to October 2019
Presentation of Draft work to supervisors and feedback November 2019
Review and revise feedback from Supervisors December 2019
Review, proof reading of thesis and formatting to approved school format January 2020
Submit Thesis for examination February 2020

Table 1: Proposed Research Time Table

Appendix 1: Literature Review

Introduction

The purpose of the review of literature is to create a coherent and comprehensive review of available literature that provides background information about the importance of celebrity endorsements through contemporary marketing media. The review of literature will help in ensuring how the features of social media platforms allow the celebrity endorsers to develop source credibility and reliability. The Literature review will evaluate and review various studies and researches that have been conducted to analyse and evaluate the impact of celebrity endorsement through social media and cyberspace platforms for marketing and branding purposes. These observations and studies highlight a close association between the establishment of source credibility and glamorous impression of the celebrity endorsing the brand to achieve consumer loyalty. Following are some of the sources highlighting why the advertisers are using the social media platforms and the celebrity profiles for the brands to develop a reputation and identity amongst the targeted audiences.

Interactivity is one of the reasons for which social media becomes an ideal medium for effective celebrity endorsement (Cashmore, 2016). Interactivity can be described as the ability to engage, interact and communicate more closely and rapidly through an efficient medium. In my research, this medium will be Instagram that provide instant Interactiveness for the celebrity endorsers. Interactivity and engagement promote celebrity relationship with their follower that includes the production of a strong and enduring bond between a brand and its purchasers in light of a perpetual exertion from the brand to invigorate the enthusiasm of its customers through connection, shared esteems, experiential substance, etc. (Cashmore, 2016). For instance, through Instagram, Bella Hadid, Kardashian family are some of the most followed and recognized celebrities who have been endorsing high level brands (Dion, 2016). For instance, Bella Hadid is an active promoter of Dior (Dion, 2016). Precisely, the literature review will briefly discuss several studies which look at the impact that the interactive mode of communication online has on the depth and power of communication, compared with more traditional non-interactive media. The literature review will define interactivity, consider key features of this quite distinct communication and look at prior work which suggest, but does not yet show exactly, how interactivity contributes to the promotional power of endorsements and marketing through social media:

What is Celebrity Endorsement?

While the trend of social media has recently emerged, but the practice of using celebrities for promoting the brands and products have been existent since over a century. According to McCracken (1989), celebrity endorsers are very comprehensively defined as the individuals “who enjoys public recognition and who uses this on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement” (p. 310). These individuals can be film stars, sportsmen, models, etc. This idea of celebrity endorsers was also supported by the recent studies according to which the advertisements with celebrities tend to promote consumerism at least 10 times more than the conventional advertisements (McCracken, 1989).

For the new-age marketers, it is important to understand the concept of celebrity endorsement and how it is utilized in modern marketing paradigms. They must also be capable of understanding how the popularity (as well as scandalous/negative popularity), persona and following of the celebrities is used by the marketers to endorse their products (Knittel & Stango, 2013). This also creates a targeted perception of the product. The celebrity endorsement has been one of the most common and popular form of marketing as it has the power to reach out to masses in a more effective manner as compared to advertisements and endorsements without any celebrity involvement due to lack of glamour and glitz (Hughes & Shank, 2005). This section will also aim to evaluate how the social media platforms such as Instagram has enhanced and evolved celebrity endorsement by making it more interactive, engaging and reactive for both the endorsers and the targeted consumers.

Celebrity: Definition

The word ‘celebrity’ is derived from the Latin celebritas for ‘huge number’ or ‘popularity, ‘ and celeber importance frequented crowded or renowned initially implied not a man but rather a condition as oxford lexicon says the state of being highly discussed; distinction, reputation but for us has individuals ordinarily, however, celebrity fundamentally implies a man, somebody who is on television and other forms of contemporary media as somebody who the consumers respect(Bafna et al. 2016, p. 220). These celebrity endorsers have diverse definitions and significance to what a celebrity is, American lexicons characterize celebrity as an acclaimed or all around advertised individual. The celebrity can be broadly described as a person known for their notoriety (Bafna et al. 2016). Despite what might be expected celebrity is dependably a contemporary as in the saint is made by consecrated writings and furthermore history books, however, celebrity is a formation of chatter of general sentiments, magazines, and daily papers essentially extraordinary types of the media. Most circumstances move from turning into icons to celebrities(Marshall, 2014). While the celebrities with a heroic or glamorous perception are absorbed to each other by their incredible straightforward temperance of their characters and personas(Bafna et al. 2016). Also, the celebrities are separated from the saints primarily by their identity redundant by anything additional customary things they have done. The celebrity endorser’s best meet all requirements to be celebrities since they are talented in the minimal separated identities they get the chance to succeed skillfully by separating themselves from others that are similar to them.

Marshall contends that is unequivocally construction in which broad communications assume the main part in administering the populace, while celebrity endorsers are to be made by capital industry. The marketers and celebrities both agree to the value and worthiness of the celebrities when it comes to marketing and endorsement (Knittel & Stango, 2013). Furthermore, Marshall stated that “Celebrity has developed into a particularly powerful and pervasive trope for contemporary culture. It works at organising what we perceive as significant, and this is made evident through its permeation of what constitutes news” (Marshall, 2014, p. 153). Another approach is the poststructuralism concept (Moraes, 2016). Moreover, the post structuralism to concentrate on the connection between solid celebrities and the chronicled structure that is behind these celebrities, the post structuralism account rather focuses on the inescapable picture and the code of portrayal through which they picture is consumed spoken to and created (Moraes, 2016). By tending to celebrity as a symbol of creation, portrayal, and consumption, they move far from the subjectivist account that organizes the importance of celebrity in the character, ability and encapsulation of the subject. The use of celebrities to endorse and propagate information is not new (Moraes, 2016). Marshall states that “The impetus behind the proliferation of the public self has a number of sources, but one of the central tropes is, in fact, the expanding celebrity discourse itself, something that has been growing in news coverage for many years” (Marshall, 2014, p. 154), however, owing to the recent technological advancements, the social media has become a new platform where celebrities discourse themselves and are further used by the marketers to endorse their brands.

Celebrity Persona Makes Them Appropriate for Endorsements

According to Muda, Musa & Putit (2012), the advertisers and promoters tend to hire celebrities for the endorsement of their brands as the celebrities have the “stopping power to make heads turn to them” (p. 380). Furthermore, the proliferation of the celebrities for promotional purposes also testify that the marketers use them to add value to their brands (Muda, Musa & Putit, 2012, p. 380). Through Instagram, the same purpose is fulfilled more effectively as the Instagram has the tendency to attract massive global following with more impact as “Many consumers wish to have the lifestyles of the rich and famous” (Muda, Musa & Putit, 2012, p. 380) and the celebrities act as their role models. This is exactly the reason that celebrity endorsements are more popular through Instagram as well. Following are three outcomes of using celebrities as social media endorsers (Muda, Musa & Putit, 2012, p. 380):

  • The celebrities develop the attention power that breaks through the advertisement clutters and make the brand more noticeable;
  • Celebrities develop the source of trust for the marketers, thus satisfying the Source Credibility theory;
  • The use of celebrities also develops a sense of persuasion for the target audiences.

However, here it is important to consider the celebrity value as well. According to Cunningham & Bright (2012), it is important to hire credible and captivating celebrities for effective social media promotions. In this regard, the “Practitioners may also find that the price for lesser-known or non-physically attractive athletes may be significantly less than hiring an athlete like soccer

player David Beckham” (Cunningham & Bright, 2012, p. 83). Therefore, the effectiveness of the acerbity, in this regard, is of the highest value that must be considered by the marketers. However, the “Effectiveness in this case can be defined as the consumer’s attitude towards the ad, brand, or athlete endorser” (Cunningham & Bright, 2012, p. 73).

In this context, Celebrity value is the reflection of positional esteem. From one perspective, celebrities speak to the supreme models for-copying of self-marking that one late production has recognized as the supporting allegory for both the contemporary and authentic celebrity (Marshall & Redmond, 2015). One of the primary causes of celebrity endorsement expansiveness is further explained by Marshall as he states that “Celebrity, as a discursive formation that grew in this environment, played in this same realm of communicating emotions, sentimentality and sensitivity to what was perceived to be a large female mass market” (Marshall, 2014, p. 156). If we take the more extensive origination of capital set by Bourdieu – where financial, social, and representative capital interchange and cross and are enunciated inside and crosswise over fields (Marshall & Redmond, 2015) celebrities can exemplify a social and emblematic capital alongside the monetary. They verbalize, once in a while through their dress, state of mind and acting, what is viewed as important in the contemporary minute: it might be the specific style or maybe their decision of way of address that communicates this specific thought of taste and refinement that rises above class as much as it points out class separations (Marshall & Redmond, 2015). This combination of social/representative capital might be very particular to a specific musically enlivened subculture, or it might be sorted out through high fashion and the scent business, where the celebrity’s picture is romanticized into a marker of extraordinary excellence (Marshall & Redmond, 2015).

For social media platforms such as Instagram, the use of celebrity endorsers has become significantly prevalent. There is no question that celebrity culture operates as an explanatory tool – albeit a very elaborate instrument – for contemporary culture” (Marshall, 2014, p. 157). Here, the celebrities tend to use their persona to create an impact on the consumers.

This understanding of noticeable esteem recognizes how the individual separates himself or herself from the foundation that is the first wellspring of their perceivability. This individuation, or what I called the “self-ruling” nature of an open identity, and the requirement for the film performer, for example, to create some “transgression” to fabricate and keep up celebrity status (Marshall, 2014) is at the centre of understanding celebrity esteem. For Schatz and his investigation of the Hollywood studio framework, it is this detachment of significant worth that prompted the decay of the framework itself and the rise of the New Hollywood and its identity framework (Marshall, 2014).

Celebrity Endorsement through Social Media (Instagram)

With the advancement of internet, the quick development of social media utilization, promoting has encountered a principal change in the way organizations speak with consumers. This a takeoff from the conventional types of correspondence channels e.g. print and TV ads organizations used to embrace in connecting with their consumers. Harker (2008) portrayed on the web or Internet publicizing as “any type of business content accessible on the web, conveyed by any channel, in any frame, intended to advise clients about an item or administration at any level of depth”, for example, YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace.

Social media consists of the online features that people use to develop and disseminate contents, thoughts, musings, suppositions and interactive experiences that support discussion and interaction between assorted gatherings of individuals (Scott, 2015). These instruments are various and incorporate several online networking platforms including Instagram – a social systems administration webpage, photograph sharing platform; Twitter for micro blogging, video sharing destinations; etc. They are normally allowed to utilize and cheap in if an overhaul is conceivable, as with Twitter In not as much as a decadelater, social media turned into the most well-known action on the internet and they have been successful to the point that they achieve a greater number of consumers than email at any point did (Jatto, 2014, p. 15). Research demonstrates that almost 90 percent of marketers integrate social media into their marketing technique and sponsors spend around sixty billion dollars yearly on social media marketing (Jatto, 2014, p. 15). Social media has been embraced by marketers who try to utilize the medium as a method for imparting and affecting their consumers emphatically. One reason that social media transcends other marketing apparatuses is a direct result of the immediate access it gives followers to their most loved celebrities, it gives a stage where celebrities can convey straightforwardly to their followers in their own specific manner (Jatto, 2014). Because of social media, celebrities are acculturated as their followers get the opportunity to see the individual behind the whiz façade and this energizes a bi-directional correspondence channel between the celebrities and their followers (Jatto, 2014).

Further supporting the “Employments and Gratification theory”, the social researchers Whiting and Williams (2013) investigated the reasons for which the new generation is more inclined to use social media rather than conventional media. The authors further presumed that individuals utilize social media predominantly for social interaction, data chasing, to take a break, as diversion and for unwinding. This clarifies the requirement for celebrities and their followers to utilize social media as celebrities need to interact with their followers universally and followers need to be a piece of the selectiveness that is their most loved celebrity’s reality. Additionally, individuals utilize social media as a contrasting option to up close and personal correspondence. It is more probable for a follower to take after their most loved celebrity on social media than for them to keep running into the celebrity as a general rule. Following their most loved celebrity on social media hence goes about as another option to physical correspondence.

Social media is frequently depicted as an instrument that advances interaction (Mergel, 2013). Interactivity is significantly more conspicuous on social media than different types of promoting media as there is a bi-directional correspondence channel amongst celebrities and their supporters and celebrities can react immediately to questions postured by their devotees (Mergel, 2013, p. 331). Since individuals utilize social media to look for data, it is justifiable that followers take after their most loved celebrities on social media so as to pick up data on their lives without sitting tight for the following version of a magazine (Mergel, 2013).

Celebrity Endorsement through Instagram

Through Instagram, various promotional techniques are used by the celebrities and marketers to attract the attention of the target audiences. According to Colliander & Marder (2018), Snapping photos is one unique feature offered and supported by Instagram that helps in endorsement through Instagram (Colliander & Marder, 2018). According to Colliander & Marder (2018):

“Snapping photos to your ‘followers’, ‘fans’, and ‘friends’ is daily practice for both general social media users and brands. Photo sharing is the raison d’^etre for many social media technologies (e.g. Instagram, Flickr, Pinterest), and an integral gratification for more general sites such as Facebook” (p. 34).

The authors further argued that the use of snapping photos technique help the celebrities engage and communicate with the audiences in a professional yet captivating manner (Colliander & Marder, 2018). In order to confirm this hypothesis, the authors (Colliander & Marder, 2018) conducted a study through Instagram that confirmed the positive “impact of using a snapshot aesthetic versus a studio aesthetic on social media, on brand credibility and on users’ attitudes towards the brand. Implications for managers will be provided” (Colliander & Marder, 2018, p. 34).

When endorsing through social media such as Instagram, the importance of electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), cannot be denied. In this regard, Ismail Erkan and Chris Evans conducted an empirical study confirming the influence of eWOM on the purchase intention of the consumers (p. 2). The combination of celebrity value further increases the positive impact of eWOM, thus making the celebrities a worthy investment for the marketers.

In another study conducted by Vierman, Cauberghe and Hudders (2017), the importance of eWOM for Instagram users and celebrity endorsements was confiemed. According to this study, “Instagram influencers with high numbers of followers are found more likeable, partly because they are considered more popular” (Vierman, Cauberghe and Hudders, 2017, p. 798). The study revealed this correlation in context of the recent trend where brands have started focusing on making their products popular through social media viral trends by using influencers and celebrities (Vierman, Cauberghe and Hudders, 2017). These sources help the marketers, specifically through Instagram as they help in developing more persuasion for the target audiences because:

“These endorsements are likely to be interpreted as highly credible electronic Word Of Mouth (eWOM) rather than paid advertising as they are often seamlessly woven into the daily narratives influencers post on their Instagram accounts” (Vierman, Cauberghe and Hudders, 2017, p. 798).

This approach is highly desirable for the companies and marketers who aim to position their brands with better authenticity, trust and credibility with least resistance from potential consumers. This is the reason that the “Firms spend $50 billion annually on celebrity endorsements due to their positive impact on stock prices, sales and consumer attitudes” (Zamudio, 2015, p. 409). These figures confirm that trust of marketers in using celebrities for spreading eWOM and ensuring positive brand promotions through social media platforms such as Instagram.

Interactivity and Engagement

Marketing on social media concentrates on advancing correspondence among consumers rather than halfway push of a message created by the brand (Scott, 2015). Celebrities on social media urge their followers to impart about them by offering prizes and different types of pay, along these lines advancing interaction, engagement and positive word of mouth (WOM)(Mergel, 2013).

Engagement on social media is a compelling instrument for brands to hold and maintain associations with their clients and is likewise an effective tool for pulling in new followers and clients (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2016). An effective and very much oversaw engagement between a celebrity and their followers will additionally reinforce the bi-directional correspondence medium and data shared between the two would never again appear to be prominent and rather deemed to be a rational interaction (Mergel, 2013, p. 331). In the event that this kind relationship is worked amongst celebrities and their followers, and kept up, at that point it is conceivable that they can effectively impact their followers, particularly by endorsing an item.

The attributes of web and social media enable consumers in enabling them to express and disperse their musings quicker and simpler, making a free stream and data trade channel. With the rising prominence of social media, web-based marketing channels are potential key apparatuses in affecting individuals (Truong and Simmons, 2010). Likewise, endorsers in social media publicizing can shape consumers’ states of mind and are perceived to advance a brand or association.

Mangold and Faulds (2009) explained that the increased use of social media has made it feasible for an individual to express and represent their ideas with thousands of other individuals on items and brands. Social media has essentially affected companies’ correspondence techniques with consumers.

Social media consists of numerous stages, for example, social systems administration locales (Twitter, Facebook) video sharing destinations (YouTube), photograph sharing locales (Instagram) and friends supported sites/online journals, for instance, Mangold and Faulds (2009). Consumers utilize social media much of the time to scan for data when settling on their buying choices (Vollmer and Precourt, 2008). Content transmitted by means of social media can impact consumers in different ways which consist of mindfulness, helping in data procurement, forming sentiments; states of mind and buy conduct (Mangold and Faulds, 2009).

Social media empowers consumers to speak with others. It additionally gives a channel to organizations to speak with consumers (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2016). Organizations, accordingly, can utilize this channel as an augmentation of customary word-of-mouth correspondence. This shows that the marketing via social media needs to be integrated with the traditional marketing correspondence techniques to make all-encompassing positive encounters about the items and friends and in addition enhance their goal to purchase.

What is Source Credibility?

Source Credibility can be defined as “a term commonly used to imply a communicator’s positive characteristics that affect the receiver’s acceptance of a message” (Hovland et al. 1953). In this regard, following figure presents a comprehensive overview of the idea of source credibility theory and its cyclic process of impacting the consumer attitude and perception:

Image result

The majority of the exploration on celebrity endorsements has focused on the source impacts of celebrity endorsements on the consumers. Specialists, for example, Ohanian (1990), have distinguished three measurements of source credibility; which are Trustworthiness, Expertise and Attractiveness and have constructed a solid and substantial scale to quantify source credibility. In any case, writing has conflicting proof about the effect of the credibility measurements on consumer dispositions. The idea of source credibility in numerous item endorsements by a similar celebrity has been scantily examined in writing (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2016). Some early examinations by Mowen & Brown (1981) proposed that just learning about a celebrity with numerous item endorsements could disintegrate consumers’ impression of the celebrity’s credibility and in the meantime adversely influence brand and advertisement assessments. In their observational examination, Um (2008) further observed that numerous endorsements by a similar celebrity to adversely impacts consumers’ impression of their credibility and agreeability, and also state of mind toward the promotion. Um (2008) likewise found that the quantity of exposures (from consumer point of view) to the celebrity endorser negatively affected consumer mentalities independent of whether the celebrity was endorsing single or numerous items. In a current report, Ilicic and Webster (2011) also, have attempted to research the impacts of numerous item endorsements by a similar celebrity combined with consumer celebrity connection on the consumer states of mind.

The three most basic estimations of endorsing-source qualities as endorsing source reliability and credibility, endorsing-source advance and endorsing source control (Kao, 2013). Certain studies also focus on endorsing-source associating it with quality; and endorsing source reliability and credibility as the two most basic endorsing source properties for a productive endorsement strategy (Kao, 2013). Endorsing-source reliability and credibility are implied as the obvious competencies of the marketers focusing on the consumer perception while endorsing- source amiability highlights the abilities of the marketer to make a valuable result from the intended target consumer segment (Heller Baird & Parasnis, 2011). Celebrities with high interactivity and credibility are more capable of getting the attention of the target segment and impacting their mindset towards the brand; and online marketing strategy vehemently stood out from those with low credibility and reliability (Heller Baird & Parasnis, 2011).

Importance of Source Credibility for Celebrity Endorsement through Instagram

This will be an important and very comprehensive sub-heading that will specifically focus on our objective social media platform, i.e., Instagram. This will briefly review and discuss Instagram’s features and affordances and start to develop a model for investigation as to how this technology might or might not assist in promotional work. Some of these features will include:

  • Interactivity
  • Engagement
  • Real-time association

Endorsement Impact by Celebrities through Instagram/Social Media

There are multiple ways, approaches and strategies that explain the way celebrity endorsements are influenced by the use of Instagram. In order to better understand this impact and influence, certain marketing and consumer theories can be identified. For instance, the Halo Effect helps in understanding how certain celebrities help creating a specific brand image while the Congruity theory helps in understanding the correspondence and persuasion between the consumers, product and the endorsers that impact the brand value and perception.

Halo Effect

The theory of Halo Effects is an ideal theory to support social media celebrity endorsement. Edward Thorndike named it about an individual being seen as having a halo. Succeeding analysts have considered this in connection to engaging quality and its bearing on the consumerism. The halo effect is a sure kind of affirmation predisposition, wherein positive sentiments in a single range make impartial or questionable qualities be seen a positive way. Edward Thorndike initially used the term pointing out especially to individuals; notwithstanding, consequently its utilization has been extended broadly in the range of brand marketing. The halo effect can work in both positive and also negative headings. However, the people/clients like one part of something; they will have a constructive slant toward every little thing about it though if they loathe one part of something, they will have an adverse slant toward every little thing about it.

Halo effect is formally described as “a subjective inclination in which an eyewitness’ general impression of a man, organization, brand, or item impacts the onlooker’s sentiments and considerations about that substance’s character or properties” (Rosenweig, 2014).

Marketing is the main field in which halo effect is effectively and broadly utilised. It has an association with marketing. It clarifies the biasness of the clients towards specific administrations or items in light of some lovely or ideal involvement with some different administrations or items offered by a similar producer.

A “halo effect” happens when an item or an organization discover marketing accomplishment because of its relationship with a fruitful item, organization or some other conspicuous component. On the off chance that the halo effect is utilised effectively, it can help an organization to spare cash on marketing by utilizing energy made beforehand by the organization, to achieve an intended interest group.

Congruity Theory

The Congruity Theory is defined as the theory according to which the “people are more likely to accept help or advice from friends than enemies”. The theory was developed by PercyTannenbaum and Charles Osgood – the American psychologists, regarding the psychological consistency of those who are impacted by the congruence.

The ‘Self-Congruity Theory’ explains that the match between the brand image and the consumer’s self-concept, while functional congruity refers to the match between the perceived functional or performance characteristics and the consumer’s desired or important functional characteristics (Pradhan et al. 2017).

The sociologists and marketers have endeavored to address the issue of congruence between the celebrity and the item endorsed (Mittelstaedt et al. 2000) and its effect on the consumers. Much of the time it has been discovered that the congruence of the item with the celebrity makes a more good effect on the consumer states of mind than that of an incongruent celebrity-item blend. Since 1990, scientists have utilized different theories, for example, cooperative system theory (Misra and Beatty 1990), elaboration probability model and theory of reporter deductions (Silvera and Austad 2004) to clarify the congruence theory of celebrity endorsements. The coordinate investigations provide conflicting revelations too. A substance examination of promotions distributed in Sports Illustrated highlighting competitor endorsers by Jones and Schumann (2000) had discoveries which conflict with the coordinate speculation. On account of the absence of informative energy of the source credibility models, McCracken (1989) proposed the significance exchange model of celebrity endorsements which could be considered as a unique instance of congruence theory. McCracken (1989) hypothesized that a celebrity embodied an arrangement of implications to the consumer. Those implications get exchanged to the item from the celebrity through an endorsement. McCracken (1989) proposed that consumers consumed the arrangement of implications related with the item as opposed to the genuine item or administration. Therefore the target of celebrity endorsement ought to be to exchange the arrangement of implications which the marketer needs the consumer to see and consume. The importance exchange marvel was later tried by analysts, for example, Halonen-Knight and Hurmerinta (2010) through a contextual investigation. The congruence theory proposes that higher saw closeness between the celebrity and the item endorsed would infer more great effect on the consumer.

Marketing Strategies used by Advertisers through Social Media

In order to make use of the social media platform i.e. the Instagram, it is important for the marketers to develop strategies and approaches that could effectively influence the consumer mindset and buying behavior. These strategies can be based on the hypothetical and theoretical frameworks led by certain credible theories. For instance, the Brand Equity Theory helps in understanding how the value is driven for the consumer from the product perception. This is further explained through the importance of brand reputation as well as celebrity reputation.

Brand Equity Theory

The researchers viewed the brand as a man to portray brand identity. The ‘brand can be seen as being upscale, capable, impressive, reliable, fun, dynamic, agreeable, formal, energetic, or intellectual.’ Moreover, recognising brand identity can be important in a couple of ways. Initially, it can interact consumers to be more expressive for their own specific identity through the identity of the brands-making strong association.

Kaynak, Salman, and Tatoglu (2008), conducted the research titled “An integrative framework connecting brand associations and brand loyalty in professional sports” where they emphasized on different theoretical viewpoints on brand association and proposed theory of a couple of all-out divisions of brand associations were recommended; this paper quite recently examined the classification of identity as fundamental variable. According to the researchers, the piece of identity in brand association includes human-like qualities. The researchers viewed the piece of the brand as a man to portray brand identity. As per them, the ‘brand can be seen as being upscale, capable, impressive, reliable, fun, dynamic, agreeable, formal, energetic, or intellectual’ (2008). Moreover, recognising brand identity can be important in a couple of ways. Initially, it can interact consumers to be more expressive for their own specific identity through the identity of the brands-making strong association (Thoumrungroje, 2014). Moreover, it influences consumer-to brand relationship in light of constructive identity attributes. Also, identity can in like manner give separation and can ’emphatically impact influence the quality, brand slant and customer loyalty’ (Kaynak, Salman, and Tatoglu, 2008)

Brand Reputation

Chaudhari (2008), in his research “Indian-ites industry: Emerging trends and difficulties in worldwide point of view” characterises brand reputation as ‘the general esteem, regard and character of a brand as observed or judged by people when in doubt’. According to the research, it is fundamental for brands to fabricate an in number reputation to flourish as indicated by consumers; consequently, making a capable brand personality with constructive associations is basic (Chaudhari, 2008). The segment, for instance, identity, mentality, and imagery put more accentuation on including sentiments and feelings of consumers are solidly identified with organising brand reputation because these elusive, non-practical parts can make an enduring memory.

In his article titled “Corporate brand reputation and brand emergency administration,” Greyser has utilised brand reputation as essential variable keeping in mind the end goal to clarify that different makes lead harming reputation resulting in losing trust and confidence in brands. Greyser (2009) represents a couple of hotspots for discolouring brand reputation. Right off the bat, item disappointment can achieve harming reputation where brands practical advantages or item related properties don’t meet consumers’ solicitations.

Secondly, sense of social responsibility can infuse unethical behaviour or lack of quality on emblematic implications of the brand. Also, bad conduct and debate or outrage of brand endorser can imperil brands’ character by naming brands’ identity as exploitative, conniving or unfeeling (Greyser, 2009). There are diverse causes, for instance, degraded business results or questionable possession that can develop a negative brand reputation. Regardless, the marketers expect brands to constantly keep up brand personality and safeguard their brands from any external influences that can have a negative impact on their reputation. Therefore, this incorporates the likelihood of brands being revealed of or incorrectly blamed for acting irresponsibly by the media.

Deephouse (2000) in his article titled “Media reputation as a key resource: An integration of mass communication and resource-based theories” utilized brand reputation as essential variable and media as a secondary variable to clarify that media is a fundamental source of communication implies that is used by partnerships to get presentation in the market and pick up brand recognition. Furthermore, the media encourages in giving information about organisations and their brands to people in general. Regardless, the media is also referred to for sharing to pick up its particular recognition individual or false information about brands-this is known as negative media scope. Regardless of the way, this may redirect consideration regarding those brands as it can destruct reputation of a well-reputed and recognized brand. Also, Deephouse (2000) gives all around the investigation of media endorsed reputation where the researcher characterises it as ‘the general assessment of a firm showed in the media’ (Deephouse, 2000). The components of media are responsible for giving information that is gathered from multiple sources. The examination proposes three primary wellsprings of information; association press releases and publishes, accomplices and media workers (Deephouse, 2000). The respective paper talked about the media as a standard wellspring of information that is endorsed by celebrities to add the elements of persuasion and influence within the process of dissemination of the information.

One such case was featured by Chung et al. (2013) in his research titled as “Economic estimation of celebrity endorsements: Tiger Woods’ effect on offers of Nike golf balls”. In the respective paper, the estimations of celebrity endorsers were the essential variable. The fundamental target of the research was to demonstrate how this wellspring of media information has achieved extreme degradation to the reputations of different brands that were endorsed by Woods such as Nike.

Impact of Negative Endorsement

One conflicting revelation is also about the impact of celebrity scandals on their endorsing capabilities. The Brand endorsements are passed on to draw in more consideration support of a brand however not, for the most part, things go as organised. This happens when a celebrity endorsing a specific brand commits a rashness which at that point gets the chance to be open getting the hang of, resulting in a negative impression of the celebrity that conveys onto the endorsed brand likewise, influencing its brand recognition and money related performance.

Brand endorsements are passed on to draw in more consideration support of a brand however not, for the most part, things go as organised. This happens when a celebrity endorsing a specific brand commits a rashness which at that point gets the chance to be open getting the hang of, resulting in a negative impression of the celebrity that conveys onto the endorsed brand likewise, influencing its brand recognition and money related performance.

Chung et al. (2013) in his research article titled “Economic estimation of celebrity endorsements: Tiger Woods’ effect on offers of Nike golf balls”. In this paper, the authors talked about and examined the extra marital affair of Tiger Woods; indicating it as an exceptional instance of how things turn out seriously between a brand and its celebrity endorser. Furthermore, the outrage including Woods who was said to have incurred significant injury around 12 billion dollars in setbacks for offer holders of organisations endorsed by Woods and expedited a considerable part of the golfer’s commercial supporters to move in an inverse course from him (Chung et al. 2013). Also, the association which had manufactured its whole scandal related to Tiger Woods considering his flourishing isolated its ties with Tiger Woods and discharged a declaration saying that Woods is no more the correct representative.

Therefore, critically analysing the above-presented research studies and observations, it can be stated that celebrities act as the factors of persuasion, influence, and credibility for the consumers. Their portrayal and representation help the brand develop an identity, reputation, and loyalty amongst their targeted audiences.

Impact on Consumer Perceptions and trends

The importance of brand reputation in association with the celebrity image and popularity cannot be denied. The consumers perceive and take in information through their observations and hands-on experiences; however, the social media followers also perceive persuasive information by analysing the information the social media followers got from one medium, i.e., social media to another.

Studies show that consumers perceive and take in information through their observations and hands-on experiences; however, the social media followers also perceive persuasive information by analysing the information the social media followers got from one medium, i.e., social media to another,in this way making perception and perspectives considering this experience. Persuasive and impacting perception, described as what the targeted consumer thinks about advertisers and advertiser’s techniques, disturbs the surge of advertising information beginning with one stage then onto the following (Petrosyan & Dimitriadis, 2016). This information has traversed the impression of the advertisers’ point made through experiences that clients have had with different convincing idea/images. Persuade and impact information can like this be seen as one explanation for the procedure with shrinkage of the feasibility of online marketing strategies (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2016). Buyers get some answers concerning persuade and impact through different perspectives, i.e., either through their own experiences, by coordinating with family and friends or by taking an interest in chats on how best to affect clients’ examinations and direct (Petrosyan & Dimitriadis, 2016). It is the responsibility for the brand perception that indicates the persuasion level and buying behavior of the targeted consumers.

Nauman & Bowden (2015) explains that when clients tend to develop wrong perceptions if the social media followers are more distrustful towards online marketing strategies or the celebrities notwithstanding the way that the condition directs the effect of saw craftiness on perspective. The social media followers in like manner found that the nature of the negative perspective depends on the evident outcomes, i.e., the more real the possible result, and the more grounded the negative perspective towards an online marketing strategy. Dunn, Hoegg& Borah (2016) affirm that a targeted consumer’s persuasion and impacting perception enables them to see, analyze, translate, survey and review persuade and impact endeavors remembering the end objective to adjust to the accompanying scene, (Nauman & Bowden, 2015) found that the more a customer needs to believe an advancement and the more noticeable need to believe the online marketing strategy , the lesser the negative manner the social media followers hold towards the online marketing strategy. Regardless of the way that persuades and impact information is accessible, the targeted consumers that need to believe an advancement and its cases would have an inspiring disposition towards the online marketing strategy despite when the social media followers should not.

Targeted Consumer Pessimism

Consumers tend to adjust to persuade and impact the marketing strategies by being a pessimist in their buying behavior (Dunn, Hoegg& Borah, 2016). However, the studies show that customers can also be cautious about celebrity endorsements and targeted consumers much of the time ensure that the social media followers don’t feel that, the social media followers or distinctive clients buy things because a celebrity trained them to. The expectations of celebrities in endorsements have dependably been tended to by buyers as some assume that celebrities simply endorse things since the social media followers are paid to and not by the social media followers use (Dunn, Hoegg & Borah, 2016). The negative manner that customers’ show towards the perspectives and cases made by advertisers is for the most part what is insinuated as Pessimism and is the doubt towards online marketing strategy claims (Dunn, Hoegg & Borah, 2016).

Since targeted consumers realize that idea/images from online marketing strategies are generally for persuading and impacting, the social media followers don’t for the most part, regard them cutting straight to the chase or slant free. Jin (2017) found that pessimists are for the most part more negative in responding to online marketing strategy guarantees that the social media followers like it less; believe it less and believe it is less capable. The more pessimists a targeted consumer is more implausible the social media followers are to be impacted by an online marketing strategy. A pessimist social media follower will be less arranged to have an inspiring perspective towards a celebrity endorsement using online systems administration media unless it is a thing the social media followers are incredibly required with.

The study will in like manner choose the likelihood with which a targeted consumer would respond to a bolstered or consumer idea/image. Customers will act depending on their persuasiveness and impact information as some can oversee enticing endeavours much better than others and as needs are this will show up in the way the social media followers react to bolstered idea/images. In any case, the effect of a consumer idea/image might be novel.

Contemporary Trend of Celebrity Endorsement

According to recent studies, there has been significant addition in the measure of celebrity endorsements through multiple mediums in which online medium, i.e., social media is the core (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2014). Celebrities around the globe including athletes, socialites, actors, government authorities, contenders, associations, articulations have been used by marketers to advance their things. Studies have exhibited that the basic reason brands endorse celebrities is generally to rise out of the chaos of online marketing strategies that are unveiled nowadays (Chung & Cho, 2017). The other likely advantages of celebrity endorsements to brands join the limit of celebrities to get hold of the customer thought either due to nature or considering the social media followers are valued; celebrities are similarly competent, as a result of their credibility for positively endorsing the product (Chung & Cho, 2017).

Regardless of the way that the written work has given the various potential advantages of celebrity endorsements, inspects have in like manner recommended that there may moreover be conceivable disadvantages which can discredit the advantages. Boerman et al. (2017) proposed that a segment of the possible negative marks join, however, are not compelled to, celebrities obscuring the brands and hurting brand reputation given a shock, frustrations, high competition, and discourses. Various studies suggest that the high costs of endorsing a celebrity and the potential risk that enthusiasm for the endorsement course of action may not by any stretch of the image change into benefits are other negative parts of endorsement deals (Chung & Cho, 2017).

Importance of Source Reliability and Credibility

The studies focusing on the source credibilityhighlight the importance of recognising the characteristics of the celebrity-endorser that interactively affect the targeted audience and the effects that these traits have on potential consumers. Moreover, most of literature on celebrity endorsements suggest the celebrities, being the representatives of the idea/images, are being sent to the beneficiaries, the customers. Source creditability imply the qualities that a celebrity has that affect the intended target consumer segment the most.

There has been a significant measure of researches that have intended to perceive the most basic factors that are pressing to the achievement of any celebrity endorsement. These examinations can, as it were, be secluded into two essential social occasions (Boerman et al. 2017). The key arrangement focusses on the investigations did on source properties.

Rifon et al. (2016) recognised the three most basic estimations of endorsing-source qualities as endorsing source reliability and credibility, endorsing-source advance and endorsing source control. Certain studies also focus on endorsing-source associating it with quality; and endorsing source reliability and credibility as the two most basic endorsing source properties for a productive endorsement strategy. Endorsing-source reliability and credibility are implied as the obvious competencies of the marketers focusing on the consumer perception while endorsing- source amiability highlights the abilities of the marketer to make a valuable result from the intended target consumer segment (Rifon et al. 2016). Celebrities with high interactivity and credibility are more capable of getting the attention of the target segment and impacting their mindset towards the brand; and online marketing strategy vehemently stood out from those with low credibility and reliability.

Studies have exhibited that targeted consumers see endorsing source reliability and credibility to be a basic factor in celebrity endorsement (Centeno & Wang, 2017) considering that it has been shown that as the credibility of an endorsing source grows, the more likely it is for the intended intrigue gathering to be persuaded and impacted. The credibility of an endorsing source depends on the marketer’s sure traits that impact the gatherer’s affirmation of the idea/image (Centeno & Wang, 2017). The most basic factors that choose how credible an endorsing source is trust and bent (Escalas &Bettman, 2015). Expertise is how much interactivity apparently is a wellspring of generous revelations” (Escalas & Bettman, 2015). Endorsing source dominance is specific to each celebrity and thing and requires planning, slant, and perception in a particular field (Escalas & Bettman, 2015). Buyers don’t trust celebrity idea/images when the social media followers don’t see that the social media followers comprehend what the social media followers are examining, i.e., that the social media followers are pros in the related domain of the idea/image that the social media followers are passing (Zhu & Chen, 2015). Studies are clashing in showing an association identified with endorsing source aptitude and client persuade and impact, regardless, there are articles that exhibit a positive association between the endorsing source capacity and positive change in customer perspective (Zhu & Chen, 2015).

Reliability is another basic estimation of endorsing source reliability and credibility. It implies the social event of consumers’ trust in the endorsing source to give information in a genuine and target way (Zhu & Chen, 2015). It is the key objective for client’s level of trust in the endorsing source and their level of affirmation of the idea/image that is being sent to them (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2015). There are different sorts of trust. These are institutional, character-based and process-based trust. He portrayed institutional trust as the assume that depended on the lead of law and communicated, for example, dental authorities endorsing toothpaste since the social media followers are regarded credible to do all things considered. Celebrity-Persona-based trust incorporates customers believing the endorsing source as consumers. Finally, he portrayed process-based trust as they assume that is worked after some time -reputation. Stacks of studies reinforce the effect of reliability on attitudinal change. The supposition of an astoundingly reliable endorsing source is believed to be more convincing than a non-stubborn idea/image and moreover idea/image from a non-dependable endorsing source (Escalas & Bettman, 2015). (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2016) also communicated that when an endorsing source is both reliable and ace, the effect on customer attitude is more significant.

Endorsing source claim suggests how approachable or physically charming the social occasion of consumers finds the endorsing source (Nauman & Bowden, 2015). It as a general rule originates from a customer identifying with a celebrity or a relationship searching for the lead which may occur in a longing situation (Nauman & Bowden, 2015). In perspective of the McGuire endorsing source model, endorsing source drawing on quality is regularly pondered from three one of a kind estimation – acknowledgment, equivalence and adoring (Escalas & Bettman, 2017). Escalas & Bettman (2017) cleared up that customers might be pulled in to things that celebrities make usage of in standard illustrations or hopeful conditions which are conditions in which buyers wish to partake in, however, can’t in their step by step life. While the centrality of endorsing source connecting with quality such as level of glamour and recognition has been concerned in the thinking of, one examination discovered this is recently actually imperative when the thing is related to claim. In any case, the charm isn’t just physical drawing in quality yet also intertwines each one of the characteristics that targeted consumers may find in a celebrity endorser, for instance, lifestyle and aptitudes.

Celebrity Endorsements and Congruency

There are various inconsistencies in the expounding on the most basic estimations for an intense celebrity endorsement (Rifon et al. 2016). A couple of examinations also explain that reliability is more basic, some claim expertise is more basic, and others affirm that the connecting with nature of the source is the most basic factor. This has provoked the advancement of various models for choosing the selection of celebrities for endorsement purposes.

Similarity Theory is a model of celebrity endorsement that has been broadly considered in the written work (Rifon et al. 2016). These examinations contend that celebrity endorsement deals are more reasonable when the celebrity fits the thing diverged from events where the celebrity and thing are immaterial (Rifon et al. 2016). Amicability can be depicted as a situation where the exceedingly essential characteristics of the representative are unsurprising with the uncommonly relevant qualities of the brand (Boerman et al. 2017). There must be a fit between the celebrity being endorsed, the idea/image that is being sent to the gathering of spectators, the thing and the online devotees getting the idea/image (Boerman et al. 2017). It is indispensable for the idea/image sent by the celebrity and the thing idea/image must be steady for capable endorsement competition (Boerman et al. 2017).

There are considerations that have shown that a direct level of incongruence can apply a moving perspective towards an online marketing strategy (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2014). For this to happen nevertheless, the consolidate must be viewed as captivating and positive. Corresponding examinations like the source qualities models, are furthermore clashing in the composition and don’t illuminate the mistake of some endorsement deals in spite of the way that there is consistency/fit between the things and the celebrity (Karasiewicz & Kowalczuk, 2014). A couple of examinations express that customers survey online marketing strategies at a comparable rate for good and incongruent endorsements while others assume that customer perspectives are more extraordinary towards celebrity-thing likenesses (Karasiewicz & Kowalczuk, 2014). (Karasiewicz & Kowalczuk, 2014) furthermore communicated that by sponsorship, there is a higher rate of the survey when there is a slight befuddle between the help and the thing.

Targeted consumer Attitude

To gauge the ampleness of the celebrity endorsements, in perspective of academic reviews, the client responsiveness was picked. Buyer perspective has been picked as the techniques for measuring the sufficiency of celebrity endorsement in various past examinations (Derdenger, Li & Sirinivasan, 2017).

Celebrity persona and recognition is a key thought that examiners once in a while use to comprehend and suspect the reaction that people should a challenge or change and how this can affect their direct (Derdenger, Li & Sirinivasan, 2017). Customer miens have been considered towards different parts of celebrity endorsements. (Garthwaite, 2014) considered the effects of celebrity shock on client perspectives towards the celebrity’s endorsements; inspected the effects of targeted consumer miens on celebrities with various endorsements while (Centeno & Wang, 2017) mulled over the effects of celebrity-thing consistency on customer dispositions towards celebrity endorsement. (Escalas & Bettman, 2015) broke into new grounds when the social media followers considered the factors that enough effect client perspectives towards contender endorsements on Twitter.

One of the crucial concerns of advertisers who endorse celebrities to advance their picture is the generation of effective interactivity among customers and the celebrity endorsers (Jin, 2017). Remembering the end objective to make capable interchanges among clients and the celebrity endorsers, especially using electronic systems administration media, it is basic to comprehend targeted consumers’ dispositions and the components that impact and affect their practices and points (Jin, 2017). In light of the change of informal electronic communication, targeted consumers can work together with celebrities in endless ways. In this way, the impression of the customers will fluctuate as a result of this unmistakable interactivity and besides because of the qualification in their characters (Jin, 2017).

Celebrity personas are for the most part unfaltering response to a comparative kind of lift (Jin, 2017). Perspectives are the best technique for anticipating behaviour to evaluate a man’s desire to purchase a thing since attitudes persuade and impact on a targeted consumer’s essential authority (Nauman & Bowden, 2015). Regardless, Nauman & Bowden (2015) express that attitudes are more convincing in expecting hones when the purchase is basic and don’t have an effect when the thing is a low consideration. Celebrity endorsements are every so often combined with marketing endeavours to make an inspiring mindset towards the brand’s existing perspectives that the targeted consumers have towards the product (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2014). In this way, to advertise to work, the effect it will have on miens must be viewed as and checked.

Using the Hierarchy of Effects theory, customers encounter three one of a kind stages in responding to marketing interactivity (Garthwaite, 2014). These three stages are mental, loaded with feeling and conative portion. The scholarly section, in like manner, insinuated as the ‘think’ suggests the feelings held by consumers around a thing (Garthwaite, 2014). This conventionally prompts care and perception of the brand passed on. The loaded with feeling the part, implied as the ‘vibe’ fragment continues from the mental portion and suggests the suppositions that clients hold around a thing; an evaluation is made on the challenge (Jin, 2017). The conative part suggests the customer’s emanation or desire to bear on emphatically, and it incorporates the clients undertaking exercises in regards to the marketed and endorsed brand (Dwivedi, Johnson & McDonald, 2016).

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