Celebrity Endorsement on Instagram: Impact on Purchase Intention

Abstract

The paper aims to explain the influence of celebrity Instagram endorsement on consumers’ purchase intention. The use of celebrity endorsement is considerably growing on various social media platforms, including Instagram. This study employs survey data from young followers of celebrity Virat Kohli for two different brands – Wrogn (apparel brand) and Unacademy (e-learning platform) to find out the impact on purchase intention. The results from data analysis reveal that celebrity credibility (as evaluated by his attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise) has a favourable and significant impact on purchase intention for the brand Wrogn, but not for the brand Unacademy. Thus, celebrity Instagram endorsements may have variable effects on purchase intention for various brands. Finally, we go through some of the possible causes and implications for marketers.