Celebrity Scandals and their Impact on Brand Image: A Study among Young Consumers

A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation

Thèse de Master , 2010 , 100 Pages

Médias / Communication - Relations publiques, Publicité, Marketing, Médias sociaux

Celebrity endorsements can be seen as a powerful and effective advertisement tool to cut through today’s thick media clutter, grab the attention of consumers by underpinning a brand’s image. The use of celebrities as a spokesperson for products and brands has been steadily increasing over the past decades. Celebrity Endorsements are perceived as a ubiquitous feature of modern marketing. Especially young consumers, who are considered to be brand conscious as well as regarded to idolise their favourite celebrities are a prime target of celebrity endorsements. Despite the many benefits celebrity endorsements entail, companies must also be aware of the potential drawbacks it brings along. Particularly celebrity endorser scandals are perceived to have an impact on a brand’s image. Owing to the steady growth of celebrity endorsements as an effective advertisement tool to boost a brand’s image, and to the fact that young consumers will remain the prime target of celebrity endorsements, this dissertation aims at investigating the impact of celebrity scandals on the brand image perception of young consumers. Based on a critical literature review, the author develops a conceptual and theoretical framework, in which this dissertation is set. An empirical study by means of an online survey distributed among 222 participants was conducted. Findings demonstrate that the brand image is hardly affected due to celebrity endorser scandals. However, the findings also reveal that felonies such as murder may lead to instant termination of consumption of a brand. The results of this research study provide some novel and useful insights into celebrity scandals and their impact on brands image, which can be used as guidelines for practitioners and as a starting point for further research.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• 1. Introduction
• 1.1. Problem Statement and Disposition of the Paper
• 1.2. Background and Importance of the Topic
• 2. Branding
• 2.1. What is a Product?
• 2.2. What is Branding?
• 2.3. The Importance of Strong Brands
• 2.4. Brand Equity
• 2.4.1. Building a Strong Brand: The CBBE Model
• 2.4.2. Brand Building Implications: The CBBE Model
• 2.5. Brand Image
• 2.6. Brands and Young Consumers
• 3. Celebrity Endorsements
• 3.1. What is a Celebrity?
• 3.2. What is Celebrity Endorsement?
• 3.3. Celebrity Endorsement as an Effective Advertising Tool to Boost Brand Image
• 3.3.1. Celebrity Endorser Selection
• 3.3.2. Celebrity Endorsement Selection Models
• 3.3.2.1. Source Credibility Model
• 3.3.2.2. Source Attractiveness Model
• 3.3.2.3. Match-Up Hypothesis
• 3.3.2.4. Co-Activation Theory
• 3.3.3. Implications and Limitations of Models
• 3.4. Celebrity Endorser Scandals: Drawback or Boost for the Brand Image
• 3.5. Celebrity Scandals and their Impact on Young Consumers
• 4. Methodology
• 4.1. Introduction
• 4.1.1. Research Objective
• 4.1.2. Research Approach to Empirical Study
• 4.2. Data Collection
• 4.2.1. Quantitative Research
• 4.2.2. Complications with Questionnaires
• 4.2.3. Assessing Validity
• 4.2.4. Reliability Testing
• 4.2.5. Questionnaire Design
• 4.2.6. Pilot Study
• 4.3. Sample Group and Execution of the Study
• 4.4. Data Analysis
• 4.5. Limitations
• 4.6. Conclusion
• 5. Data Analysis and Findings
• 5.1. Survey Results
• 5.1.1. Socio-Demographic Factors
• 5.1.2. Brands and Young Consumers
• 5.1.3. Celebrity Endorsements
• 5.1.4. Kate Moss Incident
• 5.2. Discussion of Results
• 6. Conclusion and Future Work
• 6.1. Limitations and Future Research
• Reference List

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of celebrity scandals on the brand image perception of young consumers. It explores the potential drawbacks of celebrity endorsements, particularly the impact of scandals on a brand's image. The study examines the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements as an advertising tool and the role of young consumers as a prime target for these campaigns. Key themes of this dissertation include:

• The role of celebrity endorsements in modern marketing and their impact on brand image.
• The influence of celebrity scandals on consumer perceptions of brands.
• The importance of understanding young consumers' brand consciousness and their relationship with celebrities.
• The development of a theoretical framework to analyze the impact of celebrity scandals on brand image.
• An empirical investigation through an online survey to assess the real-world impact of celebrity scandals on brand image.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of celebrity endorsements and their potential impact on brand image, focusing on the importance of understanding young consumers' perceptions. It outlines the problem statement and the dissertation's structure.
• Chapter 2: Branding: This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of branding concepts, including definitions of products and brands, the importance of strong brands, and the concept of brand equity. It explores the CBBE model for building strong brands and its implications. The chapter concludes by examining the relationship between brands and young consumers.
• Chapter 3: Celebrity Endorsements: This chapter delves into the concept of celebrity endorsements, defining celebrities and the role of celebrity endorsements in advertising. It analyzes the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements as a tool to boost brand image, exploring various selection models such as source credibility, source attractiveness, match-up hypothesis, and co-activation theory. The chapter also examines the potential drawbacks of celebrity endorsements, specifically focusing on the impact of celebrity scandals on brand image.
• Chapter 4: Methodology: This chapter outlines the methodology employed in the research, including the research objective, the research approach, and the data collection process. It details the quantitative research methodology, the complications associated with questionnaires, and the measures taken to ensure validity and reliability. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the sample group, the execution of the study, and the data analysis methods used.
• Chapter 5: Data Analysis and Findings: This chapter presents the results of the empirical study, analyzing the data collected through the online survey. It examines the socio-demographic factors of the participants, their brand preferences, and their perceptions of celebrity endorsements. The chapter also analyzes the impact of a specific celebrity scandal, the Kate Moss incident, on consumer behavior.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key focus areas of this dissertation are celebrity endorsements, brand image, young consumers, celebrity scandals, and the impact of these scandals on brand perception. The research explores the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements as an advertising tool, the role of young consumers in brand perception, and the potential risks associated with celebrity scandals. This study provides valuable insights into the complex relationship between celebrities, brands, and consumer behavior, particularly within the context of young consumers. The dissertation also contributes to the understanding of the potential impact of negative publicity on brand image.

• Université: The University of Surrey
• Cours: International Business Management - Communications - Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing
• Auteur: Raphael Städtler (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2010
• Pages: 100
• N° de catalogue: V170577
• ISBN (ebook): 9783640897155
• ISBN (Livre): 9783640897032
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: celebrity, scandals, impact, brand, image, study, young, consumers, theoretical, empirical, investigation, surrey, university of surrey