SPOKES-CHARACTERS : Creating Character Trust and Positive Brand Attitudes

Spokes-characters have appeared in numerous promotion campaigns throughout the past century. While interest in these characters has evolved over time, a substantial portion of the research concerning characters has emerged during this past decade. Yet there exists a research gap concerning the impact of specific spokes-character features on brand-related outcomes. In this study, we address this gap and extend this stream of literature with the first empirical examination of the relationship between specific spokes-character features and brand attitude. Based on the tested moderated mediation model, our results show that spokes-character trust is an important mediator of the effects of spokes-character features on brand attitude. The model also indicates that brand experience significantly moderates the effect of spokes-character trust on brand attitude. Thus, spokes-character features result in more favorable brand attitudes for consumers with less brand experience, whereas spokes-character features have little effect on brand attitudes for consumers with more experience with the brand.