Celebrity Endorsement And Its Impact On Consumer Perception And Brand Patronage: A Study Of Globacom Nigeria Limited

Celebrity endorsement generally involves a written or oral statement from a public or sometimes private individual promoting the qualities of a particular brand or product. The telecommunications industry in Nigeria has experienced fierce competition since 2001, when the first group of GSM operators began operating in the country. This competition has led to the folding of several cellular network providers in the country. With increasing competition, the country's GSM operators have been using a number of marketing communication tools to fight competition. One of them is celebrity endorsements. Globacom, one of Nigeria's largest telecommunications companies, has consistently employed celebrities and has used around 50 movies, music, soccer stars, media figures, and statesmen since its inception. However, despite the huge investment made by Globacom Nigeria Limited in celebrities to support their brand, they remain second in the telecommunications industry. It is in this context that the researcher intends to study the impact of celebrity endorsements on consumer perception and brand sponsorship. The study used the theories of the credibility model and the font attractiveness model as a theoretical framework. The study used a combination of questionnaires and in-depth interviews to collect data; 200 questionnaires were distributed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Research results have shown that although Celebrity endorsement is a good way to capture the attention of prospective customers, what actually makes these customers stay and what attracts the majority of the brand's customers is not the celebrity but the quality of the product.