Impact of Celebrity Endorsement on Purchase Intention: Does Gender Matter? (With Special Reference to Hair Care Industry in Sri Lanka)

Purpose: Celebrity endorsement is a marketing approach in which a well-known public person, such as a celebrity, athlete, or influencer, endorses a particular product, brand, or service. Companies use the celebrity's popularity, personality, or skill to strengthen the brand image and create customer intention to buy the product. Thus, the study aimed to test the impact of celebrity endorsement on customer purchase intention in the Sri Lankan hair care industry, with the moderating effect of gender. Design/methodology/approach: Through a comprehensive survey conducted among 175 customers of the Sri Lankan hair care industry, data was collected based on the convenient sampling method. Further, the smart pls 4 software was used to analyze the findings due to the fact that the model of the present study is a multi-dimensional model. Findings: The findings revealed that celebrity’s trustworthiness, expertise and attractiveness are significantly influenced on customer purchase intention accepting the first three hypotheses. Moreover, gender emerged as a significant moderator in these relationships, with two gender groups exhibiting varying responses to celebrity endorsement accepting the hypothesis four. Originality: Although, number of research are available on the impact of celebrity endorsement on purchase intention, desired research findings are not enough to figure out the role of celebrity endorsement on customer purchase intention with a particular focus on gender differences. Implications: The practical implications of these findings are substantial for marketers and retailers operating in the Sri Lankan hair care industry. By understanding the factors driving purchase intention and how gender moderates these relationships, hair care marketers can tailor their marketing efforts and optimize their store environments to better cater to the preferences of different demographic segments.