Impact of Culture on Consumer Behavior towards Celebrity Endorsement from Social Media. A Cross-Cultural Study: Comparison of Consumers in Low and High Power Distance Cultures
Rauma, Liisa (2016)
Rauma, Liisa
2016
Kuvaus
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Tiivistelmä
Celebrities have been a part of companies’ marketing strategies over the years. Studies have indicated celebrity endorsement to be effective marketing tool as it has been found to create positive consumer behavior such as increase purchase intentions of consumers. Technological changes have created new ways for practicing advertising as well as faster and easier ways of reaching target audience, also across boundaries. International advertising raises its own challenges and one of them is the culture of the target market which have proved to affect consumer behavior as well. Social media has become one of the most important marketing channels for companies which have given an opportunity to practice celebrity endorsement also in different social media channels. However, little is known of how culture impacts consumer behavior towards celebrity endorsement from social media. Therefore, this study focuses on examining consumer behavior and celebrity endorsement from social media in context of culture. Theoretical part of this study presents the cultural framework of Hofstede which is then used for the empirical analyses. Hofstede’s Power Distance dimension is analyzed further and the findings of consumer behavior in preselected cultures are analyzed in regards to that dimension.
This study is quantitative in nature and the data was collected through online survey. Altogether 225 participants from Finland and Spain took part in this study. The findings indicated that culture do have an impact on consumer behavior. Consumers in high Power Distance cultures perceive celebrity endorsement from social media more positive than consumer in low Power Distance cultures. Furthermore, they have more positive attitude towards the advertisement including celebrity and attitude towards the brand endorsed by celebrity. Also purchase intentions and celebrity endorser’s perceived source credibility were found to be more positive among Spanish than Finnish consumers.
This study is quantitative in nature and the data was collected through online survey. Altogether 225 participants from Finland and Spain took part in this study. The findings indicated that culture do have an impact on consumer behavior. Consumers in high Power Distance cultures perceive celebrity endorsement from social media more positive than consumer in low Power Distance cultures. Furthermore, they have more positive attitude towards the advertisement including celebrity and attitude towards the brand endorsed by celebrity. Also purchase intentions and celebrity endorser’s perceived source credibility were found to be more positive among Spanish than Finnish consumers.