Media type congruence in the advertising effectiveness of celebrity vs. influencer endorsements

OpenAlex İngilizce

Abstract The objective of this study is to examine how online social media influencers and traditional celebrity endorsers influence advertising effectiveness across different media platforms (online versus TV) in an emerging market. Primary data were obtained from 430 Turkish consumers to examine the role of source credibility, ad attitudes, recall, and purchase intentions for influencer and celebrity endorsed products in different media. Structural equation modeling along with MANOVA were utilized to test conceptualized relationships. Study findings confirm that source credibility has positive direct effects on attitude, recall, and purchase intentions. Additionally, the type of endorser and the advertising medium, as well as their interactions, significantly affect ad effectiveness. Celebrity ads were found to be more effective than influencer ads in traditional media; however, no significant differences were observed between the two on social media. Therefore, prioritizing celebrity ads may be more effective for influencing consumer behavior across both social media and traditional media channels, such as TV. While the effectiveness of influencer and celebrity endorsements has been extensively studied in developed countries, research on their impact in emerging markets remains relatively limited. This paper seeks to advance both theoretical and practical understanding of how endorser–media congruence influences consumers’ purchase intentions in these contexts.