Influence of celebrity endorser types on luxury fashion brand attitude and purchase intention: evidence from Chinese young female consumers

Purpose Luxury fashion brands use various types of endorsers to communicate with target consumers on social media. Following the S-O-R model, this research predicts the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement based on a practical classification of endorsers (star, artist and star artist endorsers). Meanwhile, the study compares the effectiveness of these endorser types. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 404 Chinese females (18–32 years old) through online questionnaires and analysed using repeated-measures ANOVA, Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons and Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM). Findings According to the research results, different endorser types influence consumers' attitudes towards the brand, the endorser, and purchasing intention for the endorsed product differently. Moreover, consumers' attitudes towards the endorsed brand mediate between consumers' attitudes towards the endorser and consumers' purchase intention. Practical implications Practically, the study provides valuable implications for luxury fashion brands in China when designing celebrity endorsement strategies. Originality/value Research comparing endorsers who combine famous status and relevant expertise with those characterised by only famous status or only relevant expertise remains limited. The current classification of endorsers makes a theoretical contribution to research on celebrity endorsement and purchase intention in the luxury fashion domain by offering a more nuanced adaptation of the S-O-R model. Moreover, the findings confirm the effectiveness of the three types of traditional endorsers while demonstrating their differential effects on consumers.