Celebrity Endorsements and Customer Patronage

This research is on the relationship between celebrity endorsements and customer patronage, using the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) Port Harcourt as the unit of study. The survey design was adopted, using a structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The hypotheses were tested using the z-test statistic at 0.05 level of significance. It was found among others that when celebrities who are outstanding, have integrity and are knowledgeable endorse a product, customer patronage is enhanced. In addition, it was found that the attractiveness of a celebrity, consistent use of a celebrity and multiple promotional coverage enhance customer repeat purchase and increased brand loyalty. Based on the findings, it was held that there is significant relationship between endorsement coverage and repeat purchase of beverages, as well as a significant relationship between frequency of endorsements and customer brand loyalty of beverages. Consequently, recommendations were proffered that organizations should seize the opportunity of using celebrity endorsements in promoting their products, with emphasis on reliable, credible and well-accepted celebrities so as to achieve customer patronage and brand loyalty. In conclusion, organizations are advised be careful in their choices of celebrities, so as to have the right ‘personality’ of celebrity who is worth the amount paid for the services rendered.