The real impact celebrity endorsements make on brand equity

Abstract

This research project examined the impact that celebrity endorsement has on brand equity. Marketers make decisions daily on where to spend their budgets in an effort to build brand equity and insights into how to achieve the best return on investment are important. The Aaker Brand Equity model was used as a basis for this study. The celebrity endorsement was separated into two distinct forms of endorsement - that of the traditional celebrity and that of the social media influencer. The audience of the celebrity was also considered and measured. The research findings validated the concept that a celebrity endorsement will impact on brand equity. The type of celebrity endorsement was found to be important, but the audience generational make up was found to be less important. The implications of this research are a contribution to the academic knowledge of this field of study as well as some practical ideas for marketers to consider.