Endorsement Theory: How Consumers Relate to Celebrity Models

ABSTRACT The relationship of image congruity and postpurchase dissonance has been reported in the advertising literature. The relationship among dissonance, dissatisfaction, and repeat-purchase behavior is a familiar subject as well. But the juxtaposition of all three constructs has yet to be fully explored. In this research, the incongruity between self-image and the image projected by an advertisement is found to correlate to postpurchase dissonance in the purchasers of lipstick. A follow-up study tracks satisfaction and repeat purchase intentions, and through structural equation modeling, it is established that although satisfaction is not related directly to dissonance, repeat purchase is dependent upon both satisfaction and dissonance.