Influences on the Endorsed Brand in Celebrity Athlete Social Media Interactions: The Moderating Role of Trustworthiness

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the interaction with the endorsed brand of the celebrity athlete on social media (the moderating role of the Trustworthy celebrity athlete).Methodology: In terms of purpose, this study is practical, and in terms of data collection method, it is descriptive-correlative. The population included all sports product consumers on Instagram. A total of 370 individuals participated in the study. The study's measurement instrument was a questionnaire belonging to (Wei & Lu, 2013); (Hussain et al., 2020) and (Arai et al., 2013). Sports management professors reviewed the questionnaire to verify its face validity. The external model evaluation, including composite reliability, convergent validity, and divergent validity, proved the instrument's validity.Findings: The internal model evaluation indicated that the celebrity's athletic performance, attractiveness, and market lifestyle significantly affect consumers' interactions with celebrity athletes on social media. The "Trustworthy celebrity athlete" also held a positive moderating function associated with customer interactions with a celebrity athlete owning an endorsed brand on social media. In general, trusting a trustworthy celebrity athlete, as well as his recommendations and statements of truthfulness, can impact the audience's interaction with his brand to a great extent.Originality: The current study emphasizes the value of the off-field lifestyle as a valued asset and has significant implications for celebrity athletes and brand management.