CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT AND REPEAT PURCHASE INTENTION AMONGST GLO SERVICE CONSUMERS
ABSTRACT
    The study examines the concept of celebrity endorsement and repeat purchase intention amongst Glo service consumers. It sought to ascertain if there is a significant relationship between celebrity endorsement and repeat purchase intention amongst Glo service consumers in University of Benin taking into consideration four dimensions of a celebrity (trustworthiness, perceived expertise, attractiveness and credibility).
    A survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study was made up of all students of the University of Benin, Benin City. A convenience sampling method was adopted and a sample size of 397 was used for the study. Regression was used in the analysis.
    The study revealed that trustworthiness is the only dimension of a celebrity that has a significant relationship with repeat purchase intention.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the study    -    -    -    -    -
Statement of the problem    -    -    -    -
Objectives of the study    -    -    -    
Research questions    -    -    -    
Research hypothesis    -    -    -    
Significance of the study    -    -
Scope of the study        -    -    -    
Limitations to the study    -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    
2.2 Repeat purchase intention    -    -    -    -    -    
2.2.1 Factors influencing consumers’ repeat purchase intention    -    -
2.3 Celebrity endorsement    -    -    -    -    -    
2.3.1 Advantages of celebrity advertising    -    -    -
2.3.2 Disadvantages of celebrity advertising    -    -    -
2.3.3 Choosing an endorser    -    -    -    -    -
2.4 Theories supporting celebrity endorsement    -
2.4.1 Findings on celebrity endorsement    -    -    -    
2.4.2 Findings on celebrity-product match up    -    
2.5 Repeat purchase intention and celebrity endorsement    -    -
2.6 Research model    -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    
3.2 Research design    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
3.3 Population and sampling    -    -    -    -    -    -
3.4 Operationalization and measurement of variables    -
3.5 The research instrument    -    -    -    -    -    
3.6 Sources of data    -    -    -    -    -    
3.7 Methods of data analysis    -    -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
4.1 Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.2 Characteristics of the sample    -    -    -    -    
4.3 Repeat purchase intention and independent     -    -    -
4.4 Trustworthiness and repeat purchase intention    -    -    -
4.5 Perceived expertise and repeat purchase intention    -    -
4.6 Attractiveness and repeat purchase intention    -    -    -
4.7 Discussion of findings    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.8 Possible reasons for insignificance of independent variables    -    -    
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction    -    -    -    -    -    
5.2 Summary of findings    -    -    -    -    -    -
5.3 Contributions to knowledge    -    -    -    -    -
5.4 Conclusions    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
5.5 Recommendations        -    -    -    -    -    -    -
5.5.1 Policy recommendations    -    -    -    -    -    -
5.5.2 Recommendations for further studies    -    -    -    -
LIST OF TABLES
3.1 Operationalization of variables    -    -    -    -    -    -
4.1 Demographic profile of respondents    -    -    
4.2 Celebrities identified by respondents    -    -    -    -
4.3 Glo services used by respondents        -    -    -
4.4 Regression output        -    -    -    -    
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Research model    -    -    -    -    -    
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Questionnaire    -    -    -    -    -    
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1     BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
    Every organization expects to boost sales of its product to sustain financial growth. As a result, organizations often use several marketing communication strategies that attract consumers to purchase their products. One of such strategies is advertising (Amaoteng&Poku 2013; Frimpong 2014). In the face of intense competition in the market for both goods and services, marketers over the years have adopted several traditional methods of advertising to be able to withstand the competition inherent in the market (Martey&Frempong, 2014). Some of the traditional methods adopted by marketers over the years include newspaper, billboards, television, and radio advertisements (Martey&Frempong, 2014). These methods worked for organizations in the past because the advertising methods were effective (Martey&Frempong, 2014). An advertisement is said to be effective if it does not only capture the attention of the consumers to buy the product being advertised but also influence the consumers to purchase the product repeatedly as this will help the organization sustain its financial growth (Owusu-Mensah, Nimssah&Mensah 2013).
    In recent years especially in the last decade, the entertainment industry has gained a high level of recognition amongst Nigerians especially the youth (Okorie, Oyedepo, &Akhidenor, 2012). As a result, many youth of now see celebrities as role models and tend to emulate these celebrities’ lifestyle; the way they dress, the way they talk and even to look like them physically (Okorie, Oyedepo, &Akhidenor, 2012). Youths, these days more often than not see these celebrities as opinion leaders due to their social status and fame. Due to this development, marketers now adopt the act of hiring celebrities from different entertainment industries to endorse their product(Hunter &Davidsson, 2008).
    In recent years, most adverts on television has  one celebrity or the other that endorses the product or service being advertised by way of using such product and with this, the purchase intention of consumers of such product may be influenced(McCracken 1989). A celebrity is described as any famous or influential person that is highly recognized by most people in a society (McCracken 1989). A celebrity endorser is any individual who enjoys public recognition and who uses the recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing with it in an advertisement (McCracken 1989). The information in a celebrity endorsed advert is perceived to be true because of the belief held by most consumers that celebrities would not want to damage their reputation by getting associated with “fake products”(Amaoteng&Poku, 2013; Sassenberg, Verreynne, & Morgan, 2012). This argument is made in view of several empirical evidences on the effect of celebrity endorsement on product purchase (Frank, &Isaaac, 2014; Ibok, 2013). As in most of the advertisements embarked on by Glo telecommunications, physically attractive, highly recognized, famous and reputable celebrities especially from the music industry(e.gOmawumi and M.I.) and comedy industry (e.gBasketmouth and Bovi) are often used as endorsers of their services(Okorie, Oyedepo, &Akhidenor, 2012).
1.2    STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
    In recent years, celebrity endorsement has become a very vital and strong competitive tool used by organizations in advertising their products to differentiate such products and stimulate awareness (Srivedi, 2012). Studies have proven that celebrities endorsing a company can greatly increase consumers’ awareness of an advertisement, capture their attention and make the advert more memorable, thereby achieving the three main objectives of advertisement which are; differentiating, informing, and persuading (Mellisa 2014).  Due to this development, many researchers have taken time to carry out numerous studies (Vincent, & Ernest, 2015; Wilson &Chosniel 2013) on the issue of celebrity endorsement thereby leading to the availability of various articles on the subject matter. Though much empirical evidences exist on this subject, it has been observed that there are so many gaps that were not filled by most of these studies. For example, in a related study by Mahira (2012), the researcher observed that a major limitation of his study was that data was taken from amongst professionals. He therefore recommended that further research be carried out taking data from other groups like students. In another study by Isaac (2014), it was recommended that further studies be conducted using a firm in the service industry as study focused on the manufacturing industry. Another limitation identified in a research carried out by Nasir& Khan (2016) was that the research focused on a limited aspect of the celebrity and it was recommended that further studies should explore many more aspects of celebrities such as their characteristics in relation to consumers’ repeat purchase intention.
    In view of the above gaps, this study examines the effect of celebrity endorsement on the repeat purchase intention amongst consumers of Glo services taking into consideration some attributes of celebrities such as trustworthiness, credibility, attractiveness and perceived expertise as independent variables. This study focuses on the service industry as against other studies (Isaac, 2014; Nasir& Khan, 2016) that have focused more on the manufacturing industry. The study also focuses on youth especially students in a bid to filling the identified gaps.
1.3    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
    The broad objective of this study is to examine the effect of celebrity endorsement on the repeat purchase intention amongst Glo service consumers in UNIBEN . The specific objectives are as follows;
To find out if there is a significant relationship between trustworthiness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
To find out if there is a significant relationship between perceived expertise of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
To find out if there is a significant relationship between attractiveness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
To find out if there is a significant relationship between credibility of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers among UNIBEN students.
1.4    RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Flowing from the research objectives above, this study seeks to profer answers to the following research questions;
Is there a significant relationship between trustworthiness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students?
Is there a significant relationship between perceived expertise of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students?
Is there a significant relationship between attractiveness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students?
Is there a significant relationship between credibility of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students?
1.5    RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
    Flowing from the research questions above, the following hypotheses will be tested to achieve the objectives of this study;
Hypothesis 1
Ho:    There is no significant relationship between trustworthiness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
Ha:    There is a significant relationship between trustworthiness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
Hypothesis 2
Ho:    There is no significant relationship between perceived expertise of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
Ha:    There is a significant relationship between perceived expertise of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
Hypothesis 3
Ho:    There is no significant relationship between attractiveness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students
Ha:    There is a significant relationship between attractiveness of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
Hypothesis 4
Ho:    There is no significant relationship between credibility of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students
Ha:    There is a significant relationship between credibility of Glo celebrities and repeat purchase intention of Glo service consumers amongst UNIBEN students.
1.6    SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Taking into consideration the various attributes of celebrities, this study will provide a detailed analysis and understanding of the influence of celebrity endorsement on repeat purchase intention of consumers. The findings of this study will be of immense benefit to the following; Glo telecommunications and its stakeholders, advertising agencies, consumers of Glo services, researchers and students in this field of study.
    The findings of this study will provide Glo telecoms with better ideas on how to choose celebrities for their adverts and it will provide them with the basis for evaluating the efficiency of a celebrity in achieving the set objectives. Advertising agencies will benefit from the findings of this study in the sense that it will give them opportunities to understand consumer behavior (repeat purchase intention and its determinants). They will be able to match their adverts with the appropriate celebrities. Consumers of Glo services will as well benefit from the findings of this research in the sense that it will expose them to the characteristics of celebrities  as well aid in their decision to repurchase Glo services. To the researchers and students in marketing, business and other related disciplines, this study will stand as a good research topic and material, if they intend to expand their frontier of knowledge. The findings will contribute to the existing literature in relation to the effects of celebrity endorsement on repeat purchase intention as well as bridging the existing gap in the previous findings.
1.7    SCOPE OF THE STUDY    
    With respect to focus, this study is limited to the effects of celebrity endorsement on the repeat purchase intention amongst consumers of Glo services. With respect to geographical location, the scope of this study is limited to the students of the University of Benin.
1.8    LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
    The limitations to this study are as follows:
    Bias on the part of respondents in providing the required information served as a limitation to this study, smallness of the sample size also served as a limitation to this study, another limitation was that of reluctance on the part of respondents to respond promptly, the scope of the study being that the study is limited to just a firm in the service industry served as a limitation to the study. Finally, inability to use probability sampling technique for the study  served as a limitation to the study.