Final File Celebrity Endorsement

Celebrity
Endorsement and
Its Impact on
Sales - Positive or
Negative?
Module Code:
Level:
Academic Year:
SID:
Abstract
Celebrity endorsement is the connection of the brand with an influential personality that they
considered fit with the image of the brand and the product they want to promote. The
endorsement can be done in various ways such as newspapers, billboards, advertisement, or
mentioning the brand on social media. This research aims to study the impact that celebrity
endorsement hold on the sales of the product or services of an organisation. Research would
be done by comparing the sales and revenue of companies before and after their association
with a celebrity showcasing the impact of the same. A detailed study would be conducted
through various sources of secondary sources which would help in better understanding of
the subject matter. The details of the secondary research were tested using the primary data
which was collected through a well-structured questionnaire and survey. The data and
information collected suggest that there is a positive impact on sales and revenue with respect
to the celebrity endorsement. This is because people consider celebrity to be of key-value and
their association with any brand adds value and credibility to the product helping in better
awareness and reach for the product which works in favour of the brand.
Keywords: Celebrity, Celebrity endorsement, Brand, Consumer Buying Behaviour,Celebrity
Endorsement Importance, Brand Sales
Table of Contents
Abstract......................................................................................................................................3
List of Figures............................................................................................................................6
Chapter 1 – Introduction............................................................................................................7
1.1. Research context..............................................................................................................7
1.2 Research problem.............................................................................................................7
1.3 Rationale of the study.......................................................................................................7
1.4 Research Aim and objective.............................................................................................8
1.5 Research Question............................................................................................................8
1.6 Structure of the dissertation..............................................................................................8
Chapter 2 – Literature Review.................................................................................................10
2.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................10
2.2 Celebrity endorsement....................................................................................................10
2.3 Brand personality............................................................................................................11
2.3.1 Celebrity brand fit....................................................................................................12
2.4 Marketing using celebrity endorsement.........................................................................15
2.5 Consumer buying behaviour...........................................................................................15
2.6 Celebrity and fashion......................................................................................................16
2.7 Celebrity endorsement in the female clothing market of the UK fashion industry........17
2.8 Effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in the market....................................................18
2.9 Clothing brand – Next Plc and the impact of celebrity endorsement on its business....19
2.10 Conclusion....................................................................................................................22
Chapter 3 – Methodology.........................................................................................................23
3.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................23
3.2 Research Philosophy......................................................................................................23
3.3 Research Design.............................................................................................................23

3.4 Research Approach.........................................................................................................24
3.5 Research Strategy...........................................................................................................24
3.6Data Collection................................................................................................................24
3.7 Sampling method............................................................................................................26
3.8 Data analysis...................................................................................................................26
3.9 Timeframe......................................................................................................................27
3.10 Ethical Consideration...................................................................................................27
3.11 Limitations of the study................................................................................................28
Chapter 4 – Analysis and Findings..........................................................................................29
4.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................29
4.2 Quantitative Analysis.....................................................................................................29
4.3 Conclusion of Analysis...................................................................................................45
Chapter 5 – Conclusion............................................................................................................48
5.1 Summary of Findings.....................................................................................................48
5.2 Further Research Directions...........................................................................................49
References................................................................................................................................51
Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire..........................................................................................56
List of Figures
Figure 1: An image showing different famous celebrities
Figure 2: An image showing effect of Tiger Woods endorsement on the brand
Figure 3: A graph showing the effect of Michael Jordon on sales of Nike
Figure 4: An image showing David Beckham’s association with H&M
Figure 5: A graph depicting sales of H&M after associating with David Beckham
Figure 6: An image showing elements related to an endorsement
Figure 7: A graph showing impact of celebrity endorsement on the sales of Boohoo
Figure 8:A chart showing an overview of the 10 years financial history of Next Plc.
Chapter 1 – Introduction
1.1. Research context

Different authors and economists consider different criteria to define the success of any
business organisation (Adamand Hussain2017). But brand recognition is one of the top
factors in building the brand image and creating a lasting impact in the mind of the
customers. Different genre andscale of business make use of celebrities. Celebrity
endorsement has become quite popular and effective in the promotion of different brands.
The association of a brand with a celebrity draws the attention of people towards the brand
and its products leading to publicity for the brand. This has gained popularity in recent years
raising the market for a celebrity endorsement to a great level. Popular celebrities are said to
be great as a salesperson for the business. Endorsing a celebrity offers people a familiar and
well-known face which makes it safe and reliable for a user to trust the brand and its
products. The taste and attitude of the consumer along with the celebrity endorsing the brand
are the key point in this regard. This has made celebrity endorsement such a huge topic to
understand the marketing impact and the effect it can hold on the business activities of a
company (Winterichetal2018).
1.2 Research problem

The problem statement in this study is on the topic, celebrity endorsement that has become a
huge area of discussion as it offers different results in different industries. Industries such as
sports, clothing, and cosmeticseem to have a positive impact on the sales of the business but
this may not be the case in many other sectors or industries. The companies spent a large sum
of money on celebrity endorsement (Deshwal 2015). This is very important to know whether
it is fruitful or not. This is because the large money offered in this regard could be invested in
other marketing activities which would offer better results. This has made it a point of
argument among businesses. This makes it crucial to understand the role of celebrity
endorsement in the sales of the companies. This would help in identifying the impact of it
whether positive or negative which would help businesses in taking the right decisions for
them (Balasubramanianetal 2016).
1.3 Rationale of the study

The recent growth in technology and different methods of the advertisement has opened the
horizon for brands to reach out to their customers. This hasalso increased the competition in
the market. Thus it has become very critical for businesses to identify and assess the methods
that can leave a lasting impression on the minds of their potential customers. Businesses
across the globe have reached out to celebrity endorsement in order to connect with a
celebrity that helps in representing their brand to potential customers (Thomas and Johnson
2016). Companies spend a good amount of money making it one of the most expensive forms
of marketing and advertising. Keeping this in mind, it is very important to assess the
effectiveness and impact of celebrity endorsement with respect to the sales of the business.
The studies in existence suggest that celebrity endorsement has a positive and good impact on
the business and its branding. But a lot of other theories also exist alongside. Therefore, it is
highly vital to conduct research to establish the true picture of whether celebrity endorsement
has a positive or a negative impact on the sales of the company. This would help businesses
in drawing the right inferences with respect to their business activities (Dom etal. 2016).
1.4Research Aim and objective

The rationale behind conducting this research is to have an understanding of consumer
endorsements are a positive or a negative effect on the sales of the organisation in the
clothing sector. This would allow one to understand the impact that celebrity have when
promoting a brand. By gaining a profound understanding the literature, the following
objectives have been identified and established:
 To identify the impact of celebrity endorsement on the sales of companies.
 To find out the relationship between costs spend on celebrity endorsement and sales
revenue generated?
 To analyse and assess whether celebrity endorsement has a positive or a negative
impact on the sales of the company in the clothing sector of the UK (Bianand
Veloutsou 2017).
1.5Research Question
1. What is the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer behaviour?
2. To find out the relationship between costs spend on celebrity endorsement and sales
revenue generated with respect to female clothing line in the UK market?
3. What is the overall impact of celebrity endorsement: positive or negative on the
clothing industry in the UK market?
1.6 Structure of the dissertation
In order to successfully carry out the research, it has been divided and sub-divided into
various segments. The first chapter discussion about the research context along with the
research rationale has been conducted along with the aims and objectives and research
questions which need to be answered with the help of the research.The second chapter
consists of the literature review which would offer an extensive understanding of celebrity
endorsement and the factors responsible for the impact that it holds on the business. The
consumer buying behaviour and the connection of celebrity endorsement in the UK clothing
market would be included in this segment (Yang 2018). The next section, discussion about
research methodology with respect to various aspects such as research philosophy, methods,
approach, design, type of investigation, sampling method, issues such as accessibility issues,
ethical issues and data collection methods shall be done in the report. The next section would
be of data analysis that would evaluate the data acquired through primary and secondary data
collection methods. This would be done with the help of different quantitative tools.On the
basis of the research, the analysis shall be conducted that would help in drawing a meaningful
conclusion to assess the factors which the celebrity factors affect the clothing business from a
different perspective. This would help the industry or the organisation with further
recommendations that would be of great assistance with the scope of the research in different
regard which would be part of the last chapter of conclusion and recommendation.
Chapter 2 – Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
A literature review is the most crucial part of any research (Dom etal. 2016). It offers a
detailed knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. It allows the researcher to gain
knowledge from different aspects assisting them in offering the right viewpoint. This helps in
gathering of the secondary information. This involved analysis of verified journals, articles,
books, publications, previously researched articles. With respect to the topic of discussion in
this study, the previous study done on aspects related to celebrity endorsement along with the
brand personality and how effective is celebrity endorsement with respect to the sales of the
organisation.
2.2 Celebrity endorsement

Celebrity endorsement is a concept that is used as a marketing technique for the promotion
and advertising of a product or service. The respective celebrities are quite famous and
renowned in their respective field (Bergkvistandand Zhou 2016). This offers more audience
and greater reach to the product which is the prime aim of celebrity endorsement. Celebrities
are quite an effective medium of promotion. This is because they add value to the product.
Brands put too much money and efforts in celebrity endorsement as this is set to be a
successful medium for the marketing and selling products (Bruzzi and Gibson 2013). This
develops the faith in the mind of the consumer that if a celebrity is using a product then it
must be of premium quality. This enhances the credibility of the product leading to better
chances of it being sold.
Figure 1: Different celebrities associated with different brands; Source:Zoouv (2016)

The article by Tripp, Jensen and Carlson (1994) states the faith or the credibility that the
celebrity holds in the eyes of the consumer. They trust the celebrity to be the right choice and
build trust on the basis of the brands and products they are associated with. The credibility
showcase in this regard values the trustworthiness for a label that is been validated by a
celebrity. The history of celebrity endorsement goes a long back. It has been years since
advertisers are using endorsement and celebrities to communicate about the special and
attractive quality of the products. One can note back such an endorsement back to the 1800s
with Queen Victoria’s laundress in reference. In continuation to this, in the 1930s, Johnny
Weissmuller a famous actor and swimmer were used for promoting the Wheaties box. This
continued in the 1940s and 1950s but it took a peak in the 1980s when celebrity endorsement
was part and parcel of all major firms (Dissanayake et al. 2017). The famous case of Michael
Jackson’s $50 million deal in order to associate with Pepsi and James Garner and Mariette
Hartley’s $3 million to advertise Polaroid stands as great examples of how huge and large
scale celebrity endorsement has always been. This has carried out since then and brands like
Coca Cola, Pepsi have always been associated with numerous celebrities and offered and paid
them a humongous sum of money in order for them to endorse their product. Famous
celebrities like Michael Jordon, Britney Spears, and Tiger Woods are some common and
recent example for different brands (Jain 2011).
Figure 2: Effect of Tiger Woods endorsement on the brand; Source: Marketing

Science(2013)
2.3 Brand personality
Brand personality is the personality or attributes of the brand which the consumer or the
brand would like themselves to be associated with. These are the factors that a consumer can
relate to allowing one to understand the consumer and their segments in a better way. It offers
a replica of the brand and if satisfies the consumer or matches with their need then there is a
major chance of the consumer buying the product or availing the services. According to
Szmiginand Piacentini(2018),this helps in building the brand and its image making it more
relatable to the consumer.
2.3.1 Celebrity brand fit
Fit is the match or the relevancy that exists between the brand and the celebrity. It is this
aspect which connects the brand and the celebrity offering a positive connection. This is
highly important as one relates the product with the celebrity affecting its image and
attributes to a great extent. One can’t expect a cooking celebrity endorsing an athletic gear or
vice versa. It is the relation and connection between the two that should be taken into
consideration. This is crucial as the consumer and the target audiences in such cases are
similar helping the brand to reach out to their potential customers in an effective way.
Therefore it is very important to study the celebrity and find the right fit that has enough
reach and impact in the respective target audience field and would offer a response from the
audience.
The connection between Michael Jordon and Nike is one such example where the athletic and
sporty attributes of Michael were associated with how Nike products and how it serves its
customers. Same was the case with Tiger Woods (Malikand Qureshi 2016). This allowed
Nike to open itself to the large market of golf which was quite new for the organisation. The
association with Tiger Woods developed the faith in the mind of people along with the
reputation that Nike holds with its sports segment.
Figure 3: Effect of Michael Jordon on sales of Nike; Source: CNN Money (2015)
The connection between the personality of Rihanna and Puma is also a prominent example of
a celebrity brand fit. The sneakers of the brand in association with Rihanna and Fenty
depicted that it stands for today’s time and age which worked in favour of the company. It
was a great way to influence the youngsters leading to an increase in the interest of both the
retailers and consumers.
Figure 4: David Beckham association with H&M; Source: DM Fashionbook (2014)

The famous connection between H&M and David Beckham was also quite a huge talk in
recent time. The brand made the most out of the popularity and image of David Beckham
who is said to be classy and smart in his choice of apparels which is what H&M stands for.
This also opened the brand in the light of menswear which was earlier just concentrated on
the female wear (Yu et al. 2019). This connection between the personality of David and
H&M proved to create a lot of buzz and success for both of them highlighting the success of
celebrity endorsement in its own regard.
Figure 5: Sales forecast of H&M after associating with David Beckham; Source:
Researchgate (2014)
The attitude that people have towards the celebrity plays a major role for a brand to consider
a celebrity. No brand likes to be associated with someone who is not liked by the people or
who has no connection with the brand. A negative attitude or stunt of the brand or the
celebrity can affect their reputation and connection. This is the reason that brands conduct
deep research and market study before selecting a celebrity for their brand association. It is
also important that the celebrity has a positive outlook and motive of being connected with
the brand. They need to be in affirmation with the brand that they are endorsing and no
negative comment or action should be taken with relation to it. Any negative news or action
with respect to the celebrity can make the buyer quite skeptical with the brand and its
products (Roozenand Raedts 2017). This can lead to a drop in the sales of the business. The
mistake created by the celebrity can make a customer associate with the brand which can
create negativity of the brand.
2.4 Marketing using celebrity endorsement

Different celebrities are categorized at different levels from A to Z depending on their market
value and the popularity they hold. This is used to promote and advertise brands using
different methods. The most popular marketing methods in current time are social media
marketing and celebrities are paid quite a huge amount in order to Tweet or Post about
different brands and their product. This has made promotion much easier as compared to the
previous time (Moraesetal 2019).
"A" Celebrity
Celebrity enterprise
Celebrity Celebrity
brand fit motive
"A"
"A"
Endorsment
Endorsment
A brand
Figure 6: Elements related to an endorsement; Source: Self (2020)

The major focus of marketing in this regard is to highlight the USPs and special features of
the product while connecting it with the celebrity. This makes it more relatable and saleable
fulfilling the aim of the business. This is done in order to make the most out of the strength
and popularity of the celebrity by making them talk about the brand (Um 2018). Based on the
“TEARS” model, there are major components in the name of attractiveness, similarity and
respect that is used by the brand in relation to the celebrity and marketed in such a way that
enhances the same with the product to lure the customers.
2.5 Consumer buying behaviour

Consumer buying behaviour is the concept that deals with the why, when and how people
prefer to buy any product or avail of any services. It takes into account a lot of factors and
elements making it different for different industries and sectors. The economic status of the
person, their psychology, the norms of the society are such aspects which play a major role in
the consumer buying behaviour of an individual. The friends, families and the societal group
of an individual affect the products and the choices of an individual to purchase them. In
current time and age, a very critical factor that affects consumer buying behaviour is celebrity
endorsement. People residing in different parts of the world are majorly affected by how they
are perceived by society. This is a prime reason that they like to use brands and products
which are used by respected celebrity (Sharmaetal2019).
A major reason behind consumer buying behaviour is the impulsive buying habit of people
and being in the presence of a brand that is used and promoted by someone their like or
admires automatically increases their trust in it. This can lead to them buying that product at a
faster rate. In the clothing industry factors such as the attitude of a person in terms of what
they like and dislike, the brand equity in terms of how it is perceived and the stand it has in
the mind of the consumers, the brand awareness in terms of how well popular and aware are
people about it. These elements shape up the mind of the consumer in buying products in the
clothing industry shaping up the celebrity endorsement alongside.
The intrinsic and extrinsic motive hold by a consumer as one tends to discuss a particular
celebrity and their achievement with people they know. In the opinion of Dissanayake et al.
(2017), the consumer feels an intense connection with the respective celebrity and feels the
urge to buy their products immediately. They consider the celebrity to be part of their life and
want to be associated with them. This affects their buying behaviour in different regard. One
can consider this along with entrainment as the core motives that give the direction with
respect to consumer buying behaviour with a respective brand and celebrity.
2.6 Celebrity and fashion

There exists a very close relationship between fashion and celebrities. There are both
interconnected to one another. This is because fashion is presented and styled on a respective
celebrity in such a way that increased its appeal making it worth a glance. Lifestyle has
always been very important for people and who wears them makes an impact on making a
selection (Malodia et al. 2017). A good brand, when combined with one of the best
celebrities, makes it more eye-catching and popular which is bound to attract more people
towards the brand. There is a wide range of clothing and brands available putting brands at
odds individuals to reach out to their target audience and achieve the desired outcome.
Consumer buying behaviour plays a key role in this as it is the attitude and emotions of the
buyers that pursues them to make the final purchase. The evaluation and assessment of the
product that the consumer is interested in and how are the brand perceived by others typically
affects the mind-set of a user.
A consumer browses information through various sources be it television, newspaper, social
media etc. This bombards a user with tonnes of information making it easy for businesses to
create a brand image in the mind of the user not offering them enough space to make any
other decision. If a direct link is formed between the fashion line and the brand then there is a
huge chance that consumers would associate themselves with the brand creating a lasting
impact for both of them (Wang et al. 2019). The example of David Beckham and H&M, Kate
Middleton and the famous Whistles dress, Selena Gomez and Louis Vuitton and many other
celebrities wearing different brands such as Miranda Kerr and Kim Kardashian are famous
examples of how impactful and effective is the role of celebrities and the fashion territory. It
makes a user make up a choice with the help of the celebrity who resonates with the ideas and
attributes of the fashion and lifestyle brand.
Fashion is a highly competitive market. In the opinion of Church-Gibson (2011), fashion
caters to high involvement purchases which are very close to one and their image. The
celebrity and their image along with the media coverage that they receive and their
association with other popular brands try to showcase and convey the attractive lifestyle and
pursue the customers in being part of the same. This is done as promoting of products in such
sector as this is related to the social standing of people and celebrity endorsement helps in
changing and influencing their opinion with regard to the brand making it a successful
initiative (Carrillat and Ilicic 2019).
2.7 Celebrity endorsement in the female clothing market of the UK fashion industry
The UK fashion and clothing industry is a huge point of discussion. The consumers in this
segment are majorly women who like to shop and purchase items which make them a topic of
discussion. These women fall in the upper category of the country and shopping is an integral
part of their lifestyle. The trend of the world along with the brand and who is associated with
the brands make a vital role in the consumer making a selection to opt for or to avoid a
respective brand. The respective brand tries to match up to the expectations of their targeted
consumer by associating with the celebrities creating a symbolic connection. Famous
celebrities are associated with different brands such as Dolce and Gabanna, H&M, Marks and
Spencers, Versace and Gucci offering them the hype that is required to make them popular
among the female of the fashion world in the UK.
The latest example is that of the brand Boohoo. It is an online fashion brand and retailer that
offers both male and female wear (The Telegraph 2020). The organisation has spent close to
£80million on celebrity endorsement. The brand sells low cost clothing but understand the
importance and the effect that celebrity endorsement can have on its sales with the proof of
its sale. This has motivated the brand to invest highly in the celebrity endorsement segment to
gain more revenue and market share. The Madonna campaign for Versace in the past
impacted the sale of the brand in the country due to the right presentation and advertising of
the brand. It is said that these celebrities affect the sales as one opens up a better horizon as
they offer credibility to influence the desired endorsed object. All these are said to affect the
purchasing criteria of the females in the UK and their buying choice, especially in the fashion
world. The availability of so many international and national brand and the competition they
offer to one another makes the use of a global celebrity as the most sensible and thought after
the method of marketing and advertising leading to a positive outcome for all (Krishna 2019).
Figure 7: Impact of celebrity endorsement on the sales of Boohoo; Source: Financial

Times (2019)
2.8 Effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in the market

Earlier on there was no major basis to assess the impact or effect of celebrity endorsement on
the sales or revenue of the business. But with time and better assessment tools, things have
changed. There is a lot of debate about whether advocacy of a brands by a celebrity have an
absolute impact on the sales and profit of the business. It is said that celebrity endorsement is
an effective strategy for the promotion and marketing in order to gain the loyalty of the
customer and develop their interest in the brand. A lot of studies and research shows that
celebrity endorsement has a positive effect on the brand and its sales. This is because when a
celebrity endorses a product it is said to develop integrity about the brand and its product
offering the interest of the consumer. It is done on the basis of the faith that is put on the
celebrity (KhalidandYasmeen 2019). This enhances the credibility of the product which is the
prime motive of brands to bring a celebrity on board.
Though there is a negative side attach to celebrity endorsement as well. This is when the
celebrity selected for the product does not stand for what the product or brand is. This creates
confusion in the mind of the consumer which could result negatively for the business. Thus,
the brand should be very clear in identifying and selecting the right celebrity and carry out all
the necessary and important activities which can help it in increasing its sales with the right
association.A prominent example of this is when Tiger Woods was arrested for DUI charges.
This reflected really badly on the brands that he was associated with such as Nike, Gatorate,
Rolex,TaylorMade clubs etc. The negative publicity made a few of them maintains a distance
from him after the incident (Chung etal2013). The news about infidelity of Tiger Woods also
impacted his brand association as the image that it created was not something that brands
wanted to be a part of. Similar to this, model Kate Moss was arrested for being caught with
drugs. This made the famous brand H&M drop her as this was showcasing a bad impact on
the image of the brand which could have been quite harmful for the brand in the longer run.
2.9Clothing brand – Next Plc and the impact of celebrity endorsement on its business
A very famous female clothing brand in the UK is Next Plc. The company is in the business
since 1864 and have performed quite well over the years. But in recent years, thesales of the
business showed a decline making it a point of concern for the organisation (Thompson and
McLarney 2017). After analysing it was realised that the brand needs a new face that would
help in better connectivity with the audience. This made the company select Emma Willis as
its brand ambassador in the year 2017. She is a famous model in the UK who is famous on
both television and radio. She has been part of some bug projects and holds great value in the
nation (Next Plc 2020).
Figure 8: An overview of the 10 years financial history of Next Plc. - 2011 to 2020* (in
million GBP); Source: NextPlc (2020)
Sales vs Marketing Cost of Next Plc. (in Million GBP)
4400 4362
4200 4214 4221
4137 4118
4000 4028
3800 3758
3600
3548
3400 3441
3293
3200
3000
2800
2600
VAlue in Million gbp
2400
2200
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200 72 96
46 60 115
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Year
Fig. 9: Graph representing Sales Vs Marketing cost of Next plc; Source: Self (2020)
The above graph shows that the company was not faring well in 2016 and 2017. The black
dotted line shown in the graph shows Emma’s association with the firm. After bringing
Emma on-board in 2017, one can detect growth in the sales of the organisation. This
association resulted in a positive outcome for the brand which can be seen in the revenue and
sales number of Next in the after years. Even after considering the increase in the marketing
cost, the group sales have increased to a good number over the last few years showcasing that
the impact of celebrity endorsement seems fruitful for the brand. As mentioned in the Annual
Reports of Next Plc, it is stated that the organisation did not spend any significant money on
marketing before 2016. The numbers are an indicator of the positive impact that celebrity
endorsement had on the sales and revenue of Next Plc.
2.10 Conclusion
To conclude the literature review, most of the readings suggest that celebrity endorsement
works in favour of the brand. It helps in creating a better market image and position of the
product offering it better reach and awareness. Though there are some negative aspects
attached to it but if proper measures are taken then they can be cured. The numerous study
materials helped in providing background about celebrity endorsement and the factors that
make it so impactful for any business offering various dimensions and characteristics which
was very helpful in developing of the hypothesis (Umand Jang 2020).
Hypothesis
H0- Celebrity endorsement does not hold any value on the sales of the products and it is the
product that is of importance.
H1- Celebrity endorsement is very important on the sales of the products and the product
does not hold such high value.
H2- Celebrity endorsement has a significant effect on the attitude toward brand
compared to non-celebrity brand.
Chapter 3 – Methodology
3.1 Introduction
The term research methodology can be easily understood as a procedure or way through
which the research will be conducted. This would help the researcher in gaining proper
understanding of the different aspects involved in the study. This is the base on which the
entire research plan is prepared to make it quite essential in terms of the research. This
includes research philosophy, research design, approach, data collection and analysis.
3.2 Research Philosophy

It is one of the key segments of the research as this offers a different viewpoint and
dimension with respect to the research. There are three different research philosophies which
satisfy different motives as per the need of the study (Kumar 2019). There is positivism
research philosophy which takes only one side of the research into consideration which is
based on an objective way. There is not much scope of any change in it. The realism
philosophy, on the other hand, is based on a scientific approach and do not take the human
mind into consideration. Interpretive research philosophy studies the different elements of the
study in different lights and interprets them as per the need of the study. For carrying out this
study, the researcher selected the interpretivism philosophy. This is done because this will
help in understanding the different factors responsible for making an impact of celebrity
endorsement on the sales for any business. The philosophy considered in the research is best
suitable as per the need of the research and hence to study the ideology of celebrity and its
impact of the brand (Fletcher, 2017).
3.3 Research Design

Research design is generally the plan that is being followed with respect to finding the
answer for the research problem (Vajarodayaand Fernando 2019). There are three types of
research design- explanatory research, exploratory research and descriptive research design.
Exploratory research looks into the research matter as it explores the topic through asking
valid questions. This helps in offering better understanding of the subject matter. This makes
it suitable for qualitative research. Descriptive method is helps in identifying the
characteristics with respect to the research. Explanatory research is suitable for understanding
the reason or cause behind a particular topic. This type of research is useful in explaining any
situation or any problem in casual relationships.The research design chosen for this research
study is explanatory design. In order to conduct the research the explanatory design as this is
helpful in creating a link amongst the consumer’s buying behaviour and its crelationship with
the celebrity endorsing the brand (DissanayakeandWeerasiri 2017). This would focus on
exploring the questions of the research in depth helping in finding out the reality that
celebrity endorsement holds over the sales.
3.4 Research Approach

Research approach is the part of the research that deals with the thought process that should
be followed while conducting the research. There are two types of research approach -
inductive approach and deductive approach. The deductive approach deals with developing
hypotheses which are based on some existing theories and designing a strategy in order to test
it. The inductive approach, on the other hand, makes use of the reasoning and theories
available and then develop hypothesis based on these observations. This research focuses on
inductive approaches. The research with the help of this approach focuses over collecting the
primary or newer data in order to understand the topic of the research and to understand the
consumer’s buying behaviour in context with the celebrity endorsement and its effect
withsales on the brand (Paradisetal 2016). The primary data collected in this research would
be compared with the secondary data available which would help in drawing a meaning
conclusion on the basis of the findings that would be derived in this. This is the prime reason
for selecting the inductive approach.
3.5 Research Strategy

It is one of the most crucial parts of the research study. It consists of the qualitative and
quantitative research type for fulfilling the need for the research. Qualitative research type
helps in gaining detailed information about the research which is subjective. The quantitative
research type, on the other hand, is concerned with gaining statistics as well as numbers. The
strategy used while conducting this research is qualitative because the perception of the
consumer is been considered while conducting the research. The celebrity endorsing the
brand and their buying and sales of the business in relation to one another would be studied.
3.6Data Collection
Data collection is the backbone of any research (Světlík2016). This is because the researchers
try and collect as much information as possible for the purpose of the research study. This is
done with the purpose to analyse and assess the information collected. Data collection is
possible through two sources, i.e. primary and secondary method. Primary data collection
stands for the method in which data is collected for the first time based on the need for the
research. This makes it very relevant and useful for the aim of the research. There are
different qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. This includes questionnaires,
surveys, interview questions, etc. Secondary data collection, on the other hand states the
method in which the type of data that is already collected and is available for others. This is
based on the already done researcher and hence might not be completely relevant to every
research study. The major sources of secondary data collections are books, magazines, online
articles, publications, journals etc. various websites such as Emerald Insight and Science
Direct are also quite helpful in this regard. For the purpose of research both primary and
secondary sources of data collection wereimplemented (Vaismoradi et al. 2016).
For primary sources, the data has been collected from 200 consumers. These many samples
were selected as they hold a true representation of the population and would offer a clear
picture. They were selected on the basis of the preference they offer to shopping and the
factors affecting it. This was done through the use of mix research method. Surveys and
interview questionswere used for the collection of primary data. In primary research, a survey
based on the predefined questionnaire was conducted with a population of 200 people of
different age groups. The questionnaire was created addressing gender, age, and celebrity
endorsement in the different industry along with the clothing industry and its impact on
consumer buying preference. The survey was conducted online.The survey was used in order
to collect quantitative data based on a well-structured questionnaire. The survey was
conducted online through survey money, circulated on social media and other networking
groups in order to meet the sample size requirement. It is very difficult for the research to
personally reach out to such a large population these methods were found to be quite
effective for the research study.
The reason these methods were selected for data collection was because they are cost-
effective and offer convenience to the people participating in the research (Chungand Cho
2017). It was ensured that the questionnaire designed is easy to understand and do not make
the respondent uncomfortable in any regard.Data was collected through such means because
face to face interaction was not possible as the research was carried out for the people of the
UK who are staying in different parts of the country. This also does not require much time
and effort helping the researcher in conducting the researcher in a respective amount of time.
For secondary data, the data is been collected from the annual report and existing literature.
Books, journals, online publications, research articles were the main source for this. The use
of keywords such as celebrity endorsement, celebrity endorsement with respect to the female
clothing market in the UK, the effect of celebrity endorsement was used with respect to the
Google books. The researcher paid enough attention to the books and their content to ensure
only relevant data and information is used for the research (Albert etal2017). A deep study
and analysis of the matter were done to match their relevancy with the current research study.
3.7 Sampling method

The population can be described in layman terms as the individuals and things that are part of
a research that a researcher has considered for the study. It is a method of selecting data that
is acquired to assess different attributes and people’s characteristics towards that particular
subject. This method is performed for the target market and its sub-categories in a
questionnaire form. Primary reason for choosing this method is because it helps find reliable
results, the collection of data is quick and inexpensive. Methods of sampling depend upon the
essence of the study being carried out. There are two major forms of sampling- probability
sampling and non-probability sampling. In probability sampling, each unit has the same
chance of probability to select. The different types of probability sampling methods are
simple random sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster
sampling method etc.
Non-probability sampling method not all the members of the population have a chance to be
selected for the participation in the study (Harding 2018). The researcher is not well aware of
all the details of the entire population. So a section or sample of the population is selected in
this which represents the entire population. The different methods of non-probability
sampling are convenience sampling, quota sampling, judgement sampling etc. For the
purpose of this study, convenience sampling is used. It is a method through which data is
collected from the population for the aim to complete the research by the researcher. This is
done as per the convenience of the researcher. This is said to be a great method as this saves a
lot of time and effort of the researcher and is also quite economical in its regard. The sample
selected were people from different parts of the country who are keen on shopping. The
sample sized selected for the research is justified as it fulfils the purpose of the research and
offers sufficient data and information to the researcher.
3.8 Data analysis

Data analysis holds utmost importance for any research study (Rahman 2018). This is
because it helps in analysing and assessing the data collection so that meaningful insights can
be drawn from it. The data collected through survey, would be analysed using Excel. It will
be very helpful to analyze the data pivot table where all the questions and answers can be
filled out and all the results received is showcased with the help of bar graphs and pie charts.
Since this survey will focus on the audience's opinion about if celebrity impacts consumer
buying behavior and views to a brand, the best mode for this will be a quantitative survey.
For the purpose of analysing the data collected through the primary method of data collection
using the questionnaire, the researcher made use of Excel as it is a user-friendly method in
which large sum of data can be loaded.
The data was collected from the respondents and enter into an excel sheet in the form of
codes. These codes were later imported with the help of software and tools. This was later on
represented with the help of various techniques such as bar graphs, line graph, pie chart,
frequency distribution etc. (Fletcher 2017).This method is selected as this would showcase
the data in the form of statistical analysis that would in presenting the data in charts and
tables making it convenient for the researcher to understand the data and draw the necessary
and relevant insights out of it. For analysing the data and information collected from the
secondary sources, one would be using the annual reports and other literature review and
observation method would be used to analyse the impact in the form of sales and revenue
before and after a celebrity endorsement for a brand.
3.9 Timeframe
I have finished this research within a month. I had conducted the research in 10 days, 10 days
for literature reviews and 10 days for research analysis and conclusion. It was ensured that
proper time was taken for conducting each of the segments in order to maintain the
authenticity of the research. The research was conducted during the time from 22 nd April
2020 to 22nd May 2020.
3.10 Ethical Consideration

Ethical issues are concerned with the reliability and validity of the research study. Legal
compliances and ethics are been considered in the report. The research would focus on the
ethics and all these are been collected from the authenticated sources and the authenticated
literature (Kaur 2018).It was ensured that only ethical and verified sources were used. The
information collected is presented in the actual format in order to maintain the authenticity of
the report. All the data is true to its nature and no form of hampering or distortion of data in
any manner was done. In order to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the research and
the ethics, they were approved from ARU. The respondent showcased their consent to be part
of the research process and no form of any force was used. In addition to this, all the
information collected was handled and stored very carefully. The respondents were clearly
informed that the data would be used only for the purpose of the research in order to assess
the impact of celebrity endorsement on the brand and identity of the respondent would not be
disclosed in any case.
3.11 Limitations of the study

When gathering the data, there could be a lot of problems that can be resolved, such as
deceptive responses from the target group that could contribute to low survey results, the
respondents may misinterpret the questions and offer incorrect answers. For these things, the
researcher sought to clear up all of the target group's questions and make sure the
questionnaire was easy for the audience to understand.The biggest limitation for the research
was the lockdown that the nation had to face due to Covid-19.The lack of experience with
respect to the subject matter was also a limitation for the research study (Pradhan et al. 2016).
The relevancy of the secondary data collected was also a problem as this was meant for
another study and finding the most suitable and appropriate information about the study can
get tricky at times.
Chapter 4 – Analysis and Findings
4.1 Introduction
In this chapter, the data collected through primary and secondary methods would be analysed
and assessed. In order to do this, a questionnaire was prepared and a copy of the same is
attached at the end of the research in the appendix. The data from 200 consumers have been
collected to understand their perception towards the topic. Here, the questionnaire is sent to
the consumers via online media and the result is submitted by them from the same source.
Use of qualitative tool such as pie charts, bar graphs etc. was done to draw a meaningful
conclusion for the study. The research does not include any of the personal information of the
consumers. It is also ensured that a proper understanding of the questions is offered to the
participants.
4.2 Quantitative Analysis

Part A: Demographic Questions
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Percent
Gender Male 80 40 40
Female 120 60 100.0
Total 200 100.0
Age 18-25 years 20 10 10
26-33 years 60 30 40
34-41 years 52 26 66
42-49 years 38 19 85
50 years and 30 15 100

above
Total 200 100.0
Government 20 10 10
Private 100 50 60
Job type Self- 80 40 100
employed
Total 300 100
0- £10000 30 15 15
£10000- 50 25 40
£30,000
Income £30,001- 80 40 80
range £60,000
£60,001 and 40 20 100
above
Total 300 100
Most of the respondents are female with around 60% of the population within the age group
of 26-33 years of age (30%). Majority of them are into private sector (50%) with an income
range falling between £30,001- £60,000 (40%). It indicates that these are the female who
have sufficient income to purchase brands which are endorsed by celebrity and belongs to the
top clothing brands in the UK market.The major population is people who love buying
clothes and the income range that they belong to offers them the option to buy good and big
brands. As majority of the sample belongs to the young generation with sufficient fund to
splurge on brands, there shopping preference and choices are wider as compared to if the
sample belonged more to the older generation or people who did not had so much money
with them. This definitely had an impact on the result of the research.
Part B - Research Specific Questions
1. Do you only purchase clothes from brands which are endorsed by a celebrity?
Percen
Frequency t Cumulative Percent
Yes 140 70 70
No 60 30 100.0
Total 200 100.0
Do you only purchase clothes from brands which are

endorsed by a celebrity?
Frequency
140
60
Yes No
The researcher asked the respondents whether they purchase clothes from a brand which are
endorsed by a celebrity and the majority of them responded with affirmation. This clearly
showcases that people are very conscious of what they buy and ensure that clothes that are
backed up by a celebrity are used by them.A brand that is endorsed by celebrity holds more
importance and value in the eye of the people making them choose it over a non-celebrity
brand (Kheder 2018).
2. Do physical attractiveness of a celebrity matters for the customers?
Frequenc
y Percent Cumulative Percent
Strongly Agree 20 10 10
Agree 80 40 50
Neutral 10 5 55
Disagree 60 30 85
Strongly disagree 30 15 100
Total 200 100.0
Do physical attractiveness of celebrity matters for the
customers?
Frequency
80
60
30
20
10
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
The response received for the above question states that respondent believes that the physical
allure that a celebrity holds play a critical role in brand endorsement. Parul 2015 in her
research states that it is not necessary for people to find the celebrity attractive which is
different from the response of the participants. It lures them to associate or try the brand and
its products based on the faith that they have on both the brand and the celebrity endorsing it.
Consumers in the UK like to go for renowned brands. This is what pursues brands to go for
celebrities in order to make the consumer buy their product.
3. Have you been influenced or felt influenced by a celebrity in connection with a
certain product?
Percen
Yes 150 75 75
No 50 25 100.0
Total 200 100.0
Have you been influenced or felt influenced by a celebrity
in connection with a certain product?
160
140 150
120
100 Frequency
80
60
40 50
20
0
Yes No
From the data represented in the table, it is quite evident that majority of the respondents of
the research believe that they have been influenced by some or the other celebrity with
respect to a certain product (Kim et al. 2016). This can be any celebrity and any product but
one cannot deny the power and hold that a celebrity has with respect to influencing the
people. This holds a significant importance in consumer buying behaviour which is the prime
reason that brands and businesses go for celebrity endorsement and marketing. The research
states that there is a very low percentage (25%) of people who believe that they are not
moved or affected by any celebrity or the products they endorse and they rely on the products
and its quality and features more than anything.
4. What is the prime reason for the clothing brand for choosing celebrities in the UK?
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent

Recognition 50 25 25
Increase profit and sales 80 40 65

To launch a new product 30 15 80.0
For competitive reasons 30 15 95.0
Others 10 5 100.0
Total 200 100.0
What is the prime reason for the clothing brand for
choosing celebrities in the UK?
Frequency
80
50
30 30
10
Recognition Increase profit and To launch a new For competitive Others
sales product reasons
One of the prime questions with respect to the researcher that was asked by the research was
the main reason or motive because of which the clothing brand in the UK chooses celebrities
(Sudhaand Sheena 2017). The response received from the respondents is a clear indicator that
in their opinion it is done in order to increase the profit and sales of the business with 40% of
the respondent stating this in their opinion. This showcases that celebrity holds great
significance with regard to the revenue and the sales that they help the brand to generate by
associating with them.According to Johansson and Bozan, (2017),this is followed by
recognition which makes it easier for a customer to connect a brand with a celebrity and vice
versa. This indicates that celebrities are very important for the business and its profit and
hence they are used in such a huge number in the clothing and apparel market in the UK. One
can relate to this by analysing and understanding the impact of celebrity endorsement on the
sales of H&M and Next Plc.
5. Does celebrity endorsement help in brand promotion?
Frequenc
Agree 52 10 24
Neutral 12 6 30
Disagree 20 26 56
Total 200 100.0
Does celebrity endorsement helps in brand promotion?
Frequency
88
52
28
20
12
A researcher asked the respondent if whether in their opinion celebrity endorsement helps in
the promotion of the brand and a large population of the research strongly agreed to this
statement (Zamudio 2016). Majority of them with 44% stated that celebrity endorsement
offers an extra edge and reach to the brand which was not previously available. This also
opens up a new market and customer base of the celebrities helping the brand in reaching out
to a large set of people and connecting with the fans of the celebrity. It makes a name and
presence of the brand in the mind of the customer as they start relating it to a respective
celebrity. This is similar to what Vipul Jain (2011) and his research stated. This showcase the
study carried out in different parts of the world. As per the research, this transfers a positive
image of the brand and makes a consumer select the brand that is endorsed by a celebrity
especially when more than four products are being endorsed by a particular celebrity. This
create more awareness and buzz about the brand in relation to the celebrity.
6. What are the factors that drive you to make a buying decision while buying apparel?
Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent

Celebrity 50 25 25
Cost 35 17.5 37.5

Brand Name 75 37.5 75.0
Instant Need 30 15 95.0
Others 10 5 100.0
Total 200 100.0
What are the factors that drives you to make a buying
decision while buying apparel?
Frequency
75
50
35 30
10
Celebrity Cost Brand Name Instant Need Others
A researcher asked the respondent about the major factors that influence their decision
making while buying apparel in the UK clothing market. In this regard, the majority of the
respondent stated thatbrand name plays a key role in their decision making process. They
want clothes that come from a big name. The brand is what holds the value and not much
consideration is stated in terms of the products or the usage that it holds for the person. This
is followed by the association of a celebrity with a respective brand. This plays a major role
at times for the respondent to decide whether to go with the brand or not.This indicates that
people consider celebrity to be a guiding force which motivates the person to select from a
wide range of brands available (Nash 2019).
7. Do you think the revenue of the brand increases when they are endorsed by
celebrities?
Frequenc
Agree 108 12 22
Neutral 12 6 28
Disagree 24 54 82
Total 200 100.0
Do you think the revenue of the brand increases when
they are endorsed by celebrities?
Frequency
108
36
24 20
12
One of the other crucial questions asked by the researcher to the respondents was whether
they believe that the revenue of the brand increases if it is endorsed by a celebrity. Most of
the respondent agreed in this regard. They firmly believe that the revenue of the businesses
and brand increases by their association with any celebrities. Celebrities offer a new face or
picture which is different from the old and redundant image that the brand carries. Another
report by Brandequity 2020 suggests that just simple news of a celebrity and a brand joining
hands is said to increase the sales by an average of 4% which says a lot about how critical
and crucial is the role of a celebrity in the growth and earning of a brand.
8. Does celebrity bring brand equity to the product?
Frequenc
Agree 48 24 72
Neutral 4 2 74
Disagree 24 12 86
Total 200 100.0
Celebrities bring brand equity to the product
Frequency
96
48
24 28
4
The researcher asked the respondent if celebrities bring brand equity for the business. The
response received a strong affirmation in favour of it stating that celebrities are helpful in
exposing brands to more people (Roy 2017). Advertising has been given so much more
importance than other means of advertising in the marketing world with 48% of respondent
favouring in its regard.
9. Do you believe celebrity endorsed products are of good quality?
Frequenc
Agree 80 40 56
Neutral 8 4 60
Disagree 40 20 80
Total 200 100.0
Do you believe celebrity endorsed products are of good
quality?
Frequency
80
40 40
32
8
From the data acquired from the above table it is quite clear that respondent believes that the
products which are endorsed by celebrities are of good quality. When consumer or people see
celebrities using brands both in the advertising and in their real life it automatically gives
them the option that the brand is reliable and trustworthy. This works in positive direction
with regard to the sales of the brand. The different medium available to reach out to the
consumers and the reach that the celebrities hold with respect to these mediums offer a wide
range to influence and make an impact on the consumer which is all in favour for the
business (Muda et al. 2017).
10. Which sort of advertising affects your mindset about the brand and its products?
Percen
Television 40 20 20
Social Media 50 25 45
Print advertising 40 20 65
Online medium 60 30 95
Others 10 5 100
Total 200 100.0
Which sort of advertising affects your mindset about the
brand and its products?
Frequency
60
50
40 40
10
Television Social Media Print advertising Online medium Others
Researcher asked the respondent about which medium of advertising impacts them in their
buying behaviour and it is online medium and social media which lays top in the opinion of
people. People are always on their phone or laptops and online medium of any kind has
become the most convenient way for brands to reach out and influence people about their
brands and its products.
11. Are people motivated by celebrity endorsement?
Frequenc
Agree 72 36 84
Neutral 20 10 94
Disagree 10 5 99
Total 200 100.0
Are people motivated by celebrity endorsement?
Frequency
96
72
20
10
2
From the above table it can be interpreted that people are highly influenced and motivated
through celebrity endorsement as they admire the person and want to be connected to them
(JohanssonandBozan 2017). This is a key point that association of a celebrity gives a brand
better opportunity as it creates hype and buzz among people which helps them try the
products of the brand leading to a boost in their revenue.
12. Do celebrity themselves uses the brand endorsed by them?
Percen
Agree 50 25 17.5
Neutral 25 12.5 30
Disagree 25 12.5 55
Strongly 10 5 100.0
Disagree
Total 200 100.0
Celebrity themselves uses the brand endorsed by them
Frequency
90
50
25 25
10
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
One of the key questions asked by the researcher to the respondents was that whether the
celebrity uses the brand and its products that they endorse. A strong population with 45% of
the total respondents believe it to be true and they strongly agreed that celebrities go for
brands and products that they believe in and consider to be useful by themselves (McCormick
2016). This is strongly followed by people who agree to this topic with 25% in favour that
celebrity makes use of the products that they are endorsing. This acts as a testimonial for the
brand which is highlighted and promoted by brand leading to better results and outcome for
them. This shows that consumer buying behaviour is influenced by celebrity and the
credibility that they hold for the product offer confidence in the customer to buy the products.
13. Is celebrity endorsement quite effective for the sales of the business?
Frequenc
Agree 76 38 62
Neutral 36 18 80
Disagree 24 12 92
Total 200 100.0
Is celebrity endorsement quite effective for the sales of
the business?
Frequency
76
48
36
24
16
The above data represents that celebrity endorsement holds great value with respect to sale of
businesses especially in the UK clothing market. Businesses ranging from multinational
corporations or even medium to small retailers are making use of celebrity endorsement to
offer better reach and awareness to their businesses. The marketing is done to showcase the
faith and loyalty that the celebrity holds for the brand or the product making it a permanent
fixture in the mind of the people (Vienetal. 2017). This develops a market for the brand
which they can make the most out of it. This broadens the horizon for the brand opening up
new opportunities for them.
14. Do the popularity of the celebrity effects the brand image?
Frequenc
Agree 76 38 58
Neutral 8 4 62
Disagree 44 22 84
Total 200 100.0
Do the popularity of the celebrity effects the brand
image?
Frequency
76
40 44
32
8
The researcher asked the respondent whether the popularity of the celebrity affects the brand
image and the major response suggests that they agree to it. A popular celebrity is bound to
cater to more eyes which also indicate more association with more brands. In the opinion of
Knoll and Matthes2017, the celebrities portray some fact about themselves that resonates
with the brand leading to better style, look and quality which adds to the already better
attributes of the brand. This gives the consumer the confidence that the products are
trustworthy as someone whom they admire and respect is vouching and using these products.
15. Would you stop buying a product based on a celebrity’s bad behaviour?
Frequenc
Strongly Agree 15 7.5 7.5
Agree 45 22.5 30
Neutral 30 15 45
Disagree 75 37.5 82.5
Strongly disagree 35 17.5 100
Total 200 100.0
. Would you stop buying a product based on a celebrity’s
bad behaviour?
Frequency
75
45
30 35
15
The respondent when asked whether they would stop buying products because of the bad
behaviour of a celebrity, majority responded with a negative response. This showcase that
positive attitude of a celebrity might influence in good direction but just their behaviour can’t
hold so influence to stop people from buying the brand and its products. Though, one cannot
deny that factors such as respect and admiration for the celebrity and the credibility that they
hold make a positive impact on the consumer. If this is not available then this can impact the
brand and its image to a great extent. In addition to this, if the celebrity lands into any trouble
or negative limelight then this can impact the reputation of the brand as well as landing the
brand in some trouble of its own which is stated by the opinion of people favouring in
agreement with the question (Lima 2017).
4.3Conclusion of Analysis
After analysing the response received from the primary data research, it is quite clear that the
majority of the respondents believe that celebrity endorsement holds a positive impact on the
brand and its sales with respect to a clothing brand in the UK.
80
70
60
50
40
68.7
30 56.1
20
34.6
24.1
10 16.5
0
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disgree
Average
After evaluating the response, it can be assessed that a large part of the population has agreed
to the question which states the importance or role of celebrity endorsement in terms of the
brand. It is stated that celebrity offers brand equity which increases the value of the product
endorses by them. This brings it to the attention which makes it more visible to the customer
increasing the chances of its sales. A customer is affected by the popularity of the brand and
believes the product to be of great value which favours the sales and revenue of the business.
The response to disagreement is not so high which is an indicator that the response is in
favour of celebrity endorsement.
The analysis of secondary data acquired states that one can experience a significant
improvement in the sales of the organisation. A prominent reason for this is indicated in the
form of celebrity endorsement of businesses especially in the fashion world of the UK. Next
Plc understood the importance of the same and hence uses the possible medium to reach out
to a large audience through the help of the celebrity and improve the market position of the
brands. This can be also seen from the primary data where the respondents have shared that
they trust the celebrity and the association of them with the brand makes them believe in the
brand leading to making them make a purchase with it.
After analysing the data and information, the hypothesesH2- Celebrity endorsement has a
significant effect on the attitude toward brand compared to non-celebrity brand seems
valid while the other two hypotheses, H0 and H1 do not seem true making them nullify as per
the research and response of the respondents.
Chapter 5 – Conclusion
Celebrity endorsement is in high demand in various fields. Different companies sign a
contract deal with celebrities thinking that they can achieve a distinctive and relevant position
in customers mind (Asrat 2019). These celebrities include actors, sports person, pop stars and
politicians. These can have both positive and negative effects on consumer behaviour.
5.1 Summary of Findings

Brands associates with celebrity that are popular and famous
Marketers blow out a lot of money on celebrity endorsement contracts believing this will
make a huge difference on the business. Such celebrities have a huge fan-based profile and
have a lot of influence among their followers. Brands like to be associated with celebrities
that have a good reputation and whose behaviour and personality matches with them and their
products. This makes it more relatable and popular among the customers and also helps them
to create a niche or market image for the product which is highly important. This is also
crucial because people expect the celebrity to use the products that they endorse. So one need
to be associated with a celebrity that can vouch and stand for a product and build a positive
image for the product in the eyes of its potential customers (Chen 2019).
Celebrities are a key for brand sales
Advertising using celebrities has been a popular method of promotion. It is used as a great
way to communicate with the consumers helping the business to a great degree. This is the
reason that it has been given so much more importance than other means of advertising in the
marketing world. This helps as a recall feature as people often remember the brands that they
favourite celebrity endorses working in favour of the brand in the long run. This is the reason
that brands follow or prefer a stable and hard earned name which they know would remain
the same allowing their brand to feel proud with being associated with them (Fauziah 2017).
Celebrity association holds great credibility
The research identifies that people in the UK prefers buying things from a brand that is
associated with a celebrity. The celebrity holds value based on the popularity they hold in a
respective market or business. The data suggest that more popular celebrity is bound to be
more popular on social media and online medium which makes them more common in the
eyes of the people. This makes them more influential in the eyes of the people and brands
uses this to promote their brands and products. This helps them create bran equity which
influences consumer buying behaviour of people.The popularity of a celebrity can be seen in
the sales of the business which favours this point to the right degree.
Celebrity holds a positive impact on the sales of brands
The data and response received from the primary research indicates that people consider
celebrity in high regards and their association with brands impacts hue people perceive the
brands. This makes them go for the brand leading to a reasonable increase in the sales and
revenue of the brands (Schoutenetal. 2020). This is very common in terms of clothing brands
in the UK. On the target elements such as price and quality, celebrity holds high value as it is
considered that they would endorse a brand that is high on such criteria. Celebrity
endorsement tends to offer more information about the products and the brand which creates
awareness among the consumers. This improves the recall value of the brand adding value to
it and making it more popular among the customers. This makes them make a better choice
with respect to the brand as they are more aware about it. This is bound to increase their sales
and improve the revenue and profit of the business.
One can associate this with the secondary data and information which states that over the
years brands have been earning great revenue along with market share with the help of
celebrity endorsement. This has helped them in reaching out to large customers. The research
also favour this by stating that celebrity holds great image and influential power and their
association with a brand adds more credibility and authenticity to the brand which leads to
popularity of the products and the brand. But any negative publicity can create to a poor
image of the brand (Bennett et al. 2019).
5.2Further Research Directions

With the help of the research conducted, the researcher understood the female clothing
market and the impact of celebrity endorsement on it. Here the study in the UK market would
allow one to assess their situation and the attributes that they consider that would help
businesses in making the correct assessment and plans after assessing the positive and
negative impact of it on the sales of the brand and adapting to the right practices in this
regard.
References
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Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire
PART A-Demographic profile of respondents
1. Gender
 Male
 Female
2. Age
 18-25 years
 26-33 years
 34-41 years
 42-49 years
 50 years and above
3. Job type
 Government
 Private
 Self-employed
4. Income range
 0- £10000
 £10000- £30,000
 £30,001- £60,000
 £60,001 and above
Part B- Research specific questions

5. Do you only purchase clothes from brands which are endorsed by a celebrity?
 Yes
 No
6. Do physical attractiveness of celebrity matters for the customers?
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
 Agree
 Strongly disagree
7. Have you been influenced or felt influenced by a celebrity in connection with a
certain product??
 Yes
 No
8. What is the prime reason for the clothing brand for choosing celebrities in the UK?
 Recognition
 Increase profit and sales
 To launch a new product
 Competitive reasons
 Others
9. Does celebrity endorsement help in brand promotion?
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
 Agree
10. What are the factors that drive you to make a buying decision while buying apparel?
 Celebrity
 Cost
 Brand Name
 Instant Need
 Others
11. Do you think the revenue of the brand increases when they are endorsed by
celebrities?
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
 Agree
12. Does celebrity bring brand equity to the product?
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Neutral
 Disagree
 Strongly Disagree
13. Do you believe celebrity endorsed products are of good quality?
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
 Agree
14. Which sort of advertising affects your mindset about the brand and its products?
 Television
 Social Media
 Print Advertising
 Online medium
 Others
15. Are people motivated by celebrity endorsement?
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Neutral
 Disagree
16. Do celebrity themselves uses the brand endorsed by them?
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
 Agree
17. Is celebrity endorsement quite effective for the sales of the business?
 Strongly Agree
 Disagree
 Neutral
 Agree
18. Do the popularity of the celebrity effects the brand image?
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Neutral
 Disagree
19. Would you stop buying a product based on a celebrity’s bad behaviour?
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Neutral
 Disagree
Strongly Disagree

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Celebrity

1.1. Research context..............................................................................................................7

1.2 Research problem.............................................................................................................7

1.3 Rationale of the study.......................................................................................................7

1.4 Research Aim and objective.............................................................................................8

1.5 Research Question............................................................................................................8

1.6 Structure of the dissertation..............................................................................................8

Chapter 2 – Literature Review.................................................................................................10

2.2 Celebrity endorsement....................................................................................................10

2.3 Brand personality............................................................................................................11

2.3.1 Celebrity brand fit....................................................................................................12

2.4 Marketing using celebrity endorsement.........................................................................15

2.5 Consumer buying behaviour...........................................................................................15

2.6 Celebrity and fashion......................................................................................................16

2.8 Effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in the market....................................................18

3.2 Research Philosophy......................................................................................................23

3.3 Research Design.............................................................................................................23

3.5 Research Strategy...........................................................................................................24

3.7 Sampling method............................................................................................................26

3.8 Data analysis...................................................................................................................26

3.10 Ethical Consideration...................................................................................................27

3.11 Limitations of the study................................................................................................28

Chapter 4 – Analysis and Findings..........................................................................................29

4.2 Quantitative Analysis.....................................................................................................29

4.3 Conclusion of Analysis...................................................................................................45

5.1 Summary of Findings.....................................................................................................48

5.2 Further Research Directions...........................................................................................49

Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire..........................................................................................56

1.1. Research context

1.2 Research problem

1.3 Rationale of the study

1.4Research Aim and objective

2.2 Celebrity endorsement

Figure 1: Different celebrities associated with different brands; Source:Zoouv (2016)

Figure 2: Effect of Tiger Woods endorsement on the brand; Source: Marketing

Figure 4: David Beckham association with H&M; Source: DM Fashionbook (2014)

2.4 Marketing using celebrity endorsement

Figure 6: Elements related to an endorsement; Source: Self (2020)

2.5 Consumer buying behaviour

2.6 Celebrity and fashion

Figure 7: Impact of celebrity endorsement on the sales of Boohoo; Source: Financial

2.8 Effectiveness of celebrity endorsement in the market

3.2 Research Philosophy

3.3 Research Design

3.4 Research Approach

3.5 Research Strategy

3.7 Sampling method

3.8 Data analysis

3.10 Ethical Consideration

3.11 Limitations of the study

4.2 Quantitative Analysis

50 years and 30 15 100

Do you only purchase clothes from brands which are

Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent

Increase profit and sales 80 40 65

Frequency Percent Cumulative Percent

Cost 35 17.5 37.5

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

5.1 Summary of Findings

5.2Further Research Directions

Part B- Research specific questions