Unveiling the psychological mechanisms behind sports celebrity social media endorsements

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influence of sports celebrities’ personalities as social media endorsers on customers’ purchasing intentions, considering the mediating role of perceived product quality. A quantitative research approach was employed to gather data from 228 millennial individuals aged between 23 and 41 years. An online survey was conducted using convenience nonprobability sampling. The collected data were analyzed using Smart PLS- Structural Equation Model (SEM). The findings indicate that aspects of sports celebrities’ personalities, such as likability, expertise, credibility, and physical attractiveness, significantly correlate with perceived product quality and positively impact customers’ intentions to purchase products or services. The study also confirms the mediating role of perceived product quality in this relationship. This study is the first to investigate the influence of sports celebrities’ personalities as social media endorsers on the purchase intentions of millennial individuals in Egypt, with a particular focus on the mediating role of perceived quality. The findings have important implications for marketers and businesses seeking to enhance their performance through social media platforms.

Keywords

• Credibility
• expertise
• likeability
• perceived product quality
• physical attractiveness
• purchase intentions