Do racial stereotypes influence consumer judgment of athlete expertise? The role of explicit information

Purpose This study investigates how racial stereotypes influence consumer judgments of athlete expertise in global endorsement contexts. It further examines how the strength of explicit information moderates these effects. The research contributes to international marketing theory by exploring how persistent stereotypes affect perceptions of spokesperson credibility. Design/methodology/approach Across three experiments, participants were exposed to athlete endorsements that varied by race (African American vs Asian American), sport (basketball vs martial arts) and the strength of explicit expertise information (average vs strong). The experiments used two-way and three-way ANOVA to analyze main and interaction effects. Findings Racial stereotypes shaped consumer perceptions of athlete expertise, particularly when the race–sport fit aligned with common stereotypes (e.g. African American–basketball). These effects diminished or disappeared when strong, explicit information was presented. However, average information was not always sufficient to override stereotype-based judgments, particularly in the case of counter-stereotypical portrayals. Originality/value This study extends international marketing theory by showing how race-based stereotypes can persist and influence consumer perceptions across cultural contexts, even in the absence of direct exposure to the stereotyped group. The findings suggest the importance of strategic message framing in global advertising and the ethical responsibility to counteract stereotype-driven biases in global spokesperson selection.