The Effects of Endorsements on Product Evaluation

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effect of product endorsement claims on a consumer's decision making processes. A simulated endorsement claim was made for a product after which a consumer was presented with the product. Endorsements tested were the three most common types in use: celebrity, expert, and typical consumer, with two control groups for experimental design. Three scales of measurement were used to assess the effect of the endorsement: a consumer's intent to purchase, his overall attitude towards the product, and his expected price of the product. The results show the strength of celebrity and typical consumer endorsers. They also show that the endorser effect is dramatically weaker than hypothesized. The Lavidge‐Steiner hierarchy of advertising effects model is introduced in an attempt to explain this phenomenon. Guidelines for further research are provided.