Celebrity Expertise and Congruence on Consumer Purchase Intentions: Evidence by Nigerian Mobile Telecommunication Companies

Abstract

Purpose: Celebrity endorsement is a marketing strategy firms have embraced to survive and fortify their market competitiveness. This study examined how celebrity expertise and congruence affect consumer purchase intentions in Nigerian telecommunications companies.   Theoretical framework: The theory of planned behaviour describes all behaviour of individuals who possess the power to exercise self-restraint. The predictors of purchase intentions as submitted by this theory comprised attitudes; behavioural intention; subjective norms; and perceived behavioural control.   Method: It adopted a survey research design. A proportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed in the research while a questionnaire was used to gather participant data. The instrument was validated while the reliability tests ranged between 0.654 and 0.795. A Partial Least Square (PLS) modelling was adopted to analyse data collected from the respondents.   Findings: The findings showed that celebrity expertise and celebrity congruence all have a significant positive effect on consumers’ intention to purchase in the Nigerian mobile telecommunication operators in Lagos State, Nigeria.   Research Implication: The managerial implication is that it will enhance inter-enterprise collaborations among telecommunications companies by working together with their ideas and skills to accomplish a desired task that is innovative in nature for the benefit of the companies.   Originality/Value: This study is the first of its kind to deal with celebrity expertise and celebrity congruence on consumers’ intention to purchase in the Nigerian mobile telecommunication operators in Lagos State, Nigeria.