By: Savannah Gillie
With the trend of influencers on the rise, it’s important that we take a look at how much they are really increasing a company’s sales. What makes this concept so interesting is that it is not only relevant in the U.S., but across the world. A study conducted in Indonesia at the University of Brawijaya titled “The influence of celebrity endorsement on purchase intention of Wardah Lipstick products through brand image and brand credibility,” aimed to determine how much influence celebrity endorsement truly has on purchase intention. For their study they used the product Wardah lipstick. Wardah is a cosmetic company founded in Indonesia. Their cosmetic brand the first in Indonesia to be halal (Rayining et al., 2019). Halal is seen as “permissible” and “lawful (Kinasih, 2017).” If you don’t understand the importance of this concept, it allows for Muslim women to be able to use their products without violating their religious practices. With around 87% of the population in Indonesia identifying as Muslim, the brand imperiality gained respect and popularity (Kinasih, 2017).
Marketing Cosmetics
The way companies market cosmetics is especially important. They have to be sure they are reaching a wide range of audiences. Companies have to be careful to include individuals of all skin tones, skin types, vegans, and so on. In order to create a positive impression surrounding their brand, they have to have something that makes you unique. Wardah chose to make their products halal. They catered directly to a large group’s demographic needs, therefore, establishing a form of credibility
Celebrity Endorsement and Purchase Intention
Let’s talk more about celebrity endorsement, how effective is it really? This study had some results you may not have expected. With so many companies using celebrity endorsement, or influencers, you would think they would have a direct effect on purchase intention, right? This study actually proved that is incorrect. Before we go into more detail, purchase intention is defined as “the tendency to buy a brand and in general based on the suitability of the buying motive with the attitudes or characteristics of the brand that can be considered (Rayining et al., 2019).” The definition alone proves that your brand has to have something more substantial than a celebrity who favors your products.
The questions they were trying to answer were:
-Does celebrity endorsement have a significant influence on purchase intention?
-Does the role of brand image mediate the influence of celebrity endorsement on purchase intention?
-Does the role of celebrity mediate the influence of celebrity endorsement on purchase intention?
In order support these hypotheses, the researchers had to do a little digging. For this study they chose to study the population sample of buyers of Wardah lipstick products in the city of Kediri. They chose 120 individuals to answer their questionnaire. After examining the data from the survey’s, they were able to come to a conclusion about their hypotheses. As for the first hypothesis, the data proved that celebrity endorsement had no direct influence on buying interest. While celebrity endorsement can leave a positive impact, it is not strong enough to directly drive a buyer’s interest. Obviously, celebrities have the ability to create more buzz about a product, however, they are not always credible sources. Especially if a brand was solely relying on celebrity endorsement. If the product does not have a credible backbone prior to the celebrity endorsement, the strategy will be a failure.
Results of the Study
The study proved that celebrity endorsement is not enough to influence purchase intention on its own. However, if you pair celebrity endorsement with a positive brand image, you may be able to persuade consumers to buy your product. This study reiterated the fact that brand image can increase and influence the amount of influence celebrity endorsement has on purchase intention. The same goes for brand credibility. If a company is presenting themselves to be credible and of high-quality, celebrity endorsement has the ability to become an effective marketing strategy. Interest in a particular product is more likely to increase if the consumers are well informed.
Celebrity Endorsement in Everyday Life
We see celebrities constantly promoting acne products, makeup products, clothing brands, basically anything you can think of. But how much does their word really mean to us? Would you buy something solely because your favorite celebrity said to? What if it was a brand that you had never heard of? Would you trust only their judgement on the product, or would you need to look further into the product on your own? Next time you see a celebrity endorsing a brand, try to focus on what you’ve heard about the brand, rather than what you know about the celebrity. According to this study, having positive prior knowledge of the product will make the celebrity endorsement more impactful.
References
Hardaning, T. (2018). Hipwee. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://www.hipwee.com/tips/menjadi-penulis-wardah-cosmetics-bukan-lagi-mimpi-kalau-kamu-ikuti-kompetisi-ini/.
Kinasih, R. (2017, November 21). Eiq brand series: Wardah’s fashionable strategy for halal beauty. EcommerceIQ. Retrieved September 9, 2021, from https://ecommerceiq.asia/brand-series-wardah-halal-cosmetics/
Rayining, Yuniarinto Agung, & Surachman. (2019). THE influence of celebrity endorsement on purchase intention of Wardah lipstick products through brand image and brand credibility. Russian Journal of Agricultural and Socio-Economic Sciences, 90(6), 302–308. https://doi.org/10.18551/rjoas.2019-06.37
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