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The impact of celebrity endorsement in cause related marketing campaigns on audiences’ behavioral intentions: Egypt case

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A Correction to this article was published on 18 December 2019

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Abstract

This study tests the impact of celebrity endorsement in cause- related marketing (CrM) campaigns, specifically in the non-profit firms in Egypt. This study is based on examining the impact of the five main elements of celebrity endorsement: celebrity attractiveness, celebrity expertise, celebrity trustworthiness, celebrity familiarity and celebrity-cause fit on audience’s attitudes and their behavioral intentions to donate to the firms’ causes. This study relied on quantitative approach, which involves distributing, collecting, and analyzing a large-scale questionnaire survey. Questionnaires were electronically distributed. Data were collected from 390 respondents based on convenience sampling technique and were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), AMOS 22. The findings showed that celebrity attractiveness has the most significant positive direct impact on audience’s attitudes towards CrM campaigns. Moreover, celebrity-cause fit and celebrity trustworthiness have an acceptable level of significant positive direct impact on audience’s attitudes towards CrM campaigns. However, celebrity expertise and celebrity familiarity do not have a significant impact on audience’s attitudes towards CrM campaigns. Findings further indicated that audience’s attitudes have a significant positive direct impact on their behavioral intentions to donate to the firms’ causes. This study contributes on the theoretical level in many ways: by adding to the area of celebrity endorsement in CrM campaigns, particularly in non-profit firms, the field in which there is a lack of research; by combining several social causes that use different types of celebrities in one study; by developing a conceptual framework that links between five main elements of celebrity endorsement, audience’s attitudes and their behavioral intentions to donate to the firms’ causes in Egypt, which recently has witnessed a growing trend of endorsing celebrities in numerous charitable firms. It also provides crucial directions to the marketing specialists about the required elements for an effective use of celebrity endorsement in CrM campaigns, which helps in building positive audience’s attitudes. This may lead to positive behavioral intentions to donate to the firms’ causes.

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  • 18 December 2019

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport “AASTMT”, Alexandria, Egypt

    Passent Tantawi & Heba Sadek

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  1. Passent Tantawi
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  2. Heba Sadek
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Correspondence to Heba Sadek.

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Appendix

Appendix

1.1 Celebrity Attractiveness

  • The celebrity endorser is attractive.

  • The celebrity endorser is classy.

  • The celebrity endorser is elegant.

  • The celebrity endorser is presentable.

1.2 Celebrity Expertise

  • The celebrity endorser is experienced.

  • The celebrity endorser is knowledgeable.

  • The celebrity endorser is qualified.

  • The celebrity endorser is expert.

1.3 Celebrity Trustworthiness

  • The celebrity endorser is honest.

  • The celebrity endorser is reliable.

  • The celebrity endorser is trustworthy.

  • The celebrity endorser is dependable.

  • The celebrity endorser is sincere.

1.4 Celebrity Familiarity

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I knew who the endorser was.

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I recognized the endorser.

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I was familiar with the endorser.

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I considered the endorser to be well-known.

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I did not recognize the endorser*

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I was aware of who the endorser was.

  • When I reviewed this CrM campaign, I was able to identify the endorser.

1.5 Celebrity- cause fit

  • It is very logical for the celebrity to endorse this CrM campaign.

  • This celebrity is very appropriate to endorse this CrM campaign.

  • This CrM campaign matched with the celebrity personality.

  • The celebrity and the CrM campaign represent each other well.

  • The celebrity and the CrM campaign fit together well.

1.6 Attitude towards CrM campaign

  • I like to donate to the charitable organization mentioned in this CrM campaign.

  • Individuals are more likely to recommend charitable organizations that use celebrities in their CrM campaign.

  • Celebrity endorsers in the CrM campaign make a charitable organization more memorable.

  • Individuals are more likely to donate to organizations that use a celebrity endorser in their CrM campaign.

1.7 Behavioral intention

  • I am likely to participate in this charitable organization by donating.

  • I am keen to learn more about this charitable organization.

  • I would be willing to influence others to donate to this charitable organization.

  • I would be willing to donate to this charitable organization.

  • I would consider donating this charitable organization in order to help it.

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Tantawi, P., Sadek, H. The impact of celebrity endorsement in cause related marketing campaigns on audiences’ behavioral intentions: Egypt case. Int Rev Public Nonprofit Mark 16, 293–311 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12208-019-00231-5

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