ENDORSERS IN ADVERTISING - THE CASE OF NEGATIVE CELEBRITY INFORMATION

The use of celebrity endorsers is a popular executional device, but it is not without risk. The authors report three studies examining how n egative information about a celebrity can affect the brand the celebri ty endorses. Using an associative network model of memory as a theoret ical framework, they considered four moderating variables: the size of the association set for the brand, the size of the association set fo r the celebrity, the timing of the negative celebrity information, and the strength of the associative link between the brand and the celebr ity. In the first two studies, they used a fictitious but realistic ce lebrity endorser and in the third they used an actual celebrity. Negat ive information about a celebrity resulted in a decline in attitude to ward the endorsed brand only for the fictitious celebrity. That genera l relationship was moderated in varying degrees by association set siz e, timing of the negative information, and the strength of the link be tween brand and celebrity.