Endorser-Brand Congruence, Endorser Authenticity, and Self-Brand Connection: Three-Way Interaction Effects of on Brand Attitude in Sport

Researchers have struggled to understand under what conditions the endorsement effect is maximized. The current study is the first attempt to apply the concept of ‘authenticity’ to the endorsement domain of sport. The purpose of this study is to apply a new concept -authenticity- to the evaluation of endorser effects and empirically investigate the three-way interaction effects of endorser-brand congruence, endorser authenticity, and self-brand connection on brand attitude in the sport domain. A total of 243 participants in the United States were recruited via online survey method. Current study reveals three key findings. First, the endorser-brand congruence effect on the attitude toward the brand is maximized when two variables (endorser authenticity and self-brand connection) interact with each other rather than when each predictor separately affects the brand attitude. Second, an athlete endorser’s authentic image can be transferred to attitude toward the brand when consumers have a self-brand connection. Third, the athlete endorser’s authentic image is not easily transferred to the brand attitude at the low level of self-brand connection.