THE IMPACT OF CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT ON CONSUMER PURCHASE DECISIONS: A STUDY OF URBAN CONSUMERS IN BENGALURU

In today’s competitive and brand-driven market, celebrity endorsements have become a powerful tool for influencing consumer behavior. Brands strategically leverage the popularity and persona of celebrities to capture attention, enhance credibility, and drive purchase decisions. However, the effectiveness of such endorsements depends not merely on the celebrity’s fame but on multiple psychological and contextual factors. This study aims to examine how various celebrity endorsement attributes—credibility, attractiveness, expertise, and celebrity–brand alignment—affect consumer attitudes and purchase intentions in the urban setting of Bengaluru, India. The research adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional approach using primary data collected from 284 respondents through a structured online questionnaire. The study employed a 5-point Likert scale to measure perceptions across different constructs and analyzed the data using SPSS. Techniques such as descriptive statistics, correlation analysis (Pearson and Spearman), and multiple regression were used to explore the relationships between endorsement attributes and consumer behavior outcomes. The results indicate that celebrity–brand alignment (CBA) is the most significant predictor of brand development via endorsement (BDA), with a standardized beta coefficient of β = 0.336 (p < 0.01). This confirms the Match-Up Hypothesis, which states that endorsements are more effective when there is congruence between the celebrity’s persona and the brand’s identity. Although celebrity attractiveness (CEA) and advertisement impact via attractiveness (AIA) were positively correlated with BDA (r = 0.287 and r = 0.180, respectively), they were not statistically significant in predicting brand development in the regression model. The model’s adjusted R² value of 0.160 suggests that the selected endorsement attributes explain 16% of the variance in brand development. Demographic analysis reveals that male consumers are more influenced by the expertise of the celebrity, while female consumers tend to value trustworthiness and attractiveness, aligning with prior research. These insights support the importance of segment-specific endorsement strategies, especially in culturally diverse and economically varied urban markets like Bengaluru. The study offers significant practical implications for marketers. It emphasizes the importance of choosing celebrities who authentically align with the brand rather than selecting endorsers based on fame or attractiveness alone. It also highlights the need to manage risks related to celebrity overexposure and reputation, and to consider demographic preferences when designing campaigns. Despite its valuable contributions, the study has some limitations. The use of convenience sampling, the urban-only focus, and the cross-sectional design limit generalizability and causal inference. Future research should consider longitudinal methods, include social media influencers, and explore cross-cultural or rural contexts to deepen understanding. In conclusion, while celebrity endorsements remain a highly effective branding tool, their success lies in strategic alignment and credibility. The findings of this study offer a framework for marketers to develop impactful endorsement strategies tailored to consumer expectations in India’s evolving urban markets. Keywords: Celebrity Endorsement, Consumer Purchase Decision, Brand Alignment, Advertising Effectiveness, Urban Consumers, Consumer Attitudes, Bengaluru Market