Evaluating the Influence of Celebrity Endorsement in Advertising: Insights from Eye-Tracking Analysis

Abstract

In an increasingly competitive business landscape, many brand owners turn to celebrity endorsements as a marketing strategy to promote their products. This study explores its impact to ascertain the effectiveness of this celebrity-driven approach in communicating brand-related information and influencing consumers. Participants in this research were randomly assigned to two groups, ensuring a balanced gender distribution. Each group viewed different advertisements: one featuring celebrities as models and the other utilizing non-celebrity models. Throughout the experiment, an eyetracking device recorded participants’ gaze patterns. The eye-tracking results reveal celebrity endorsements enhance their focus on the promoted product. Furthermore, an intriguing gender-based distinction emerges, with female participants demonstrating greater attention for male models over their female counterparts. Additionally, post-trial surveys indicate that a higher proportion of female participants are inclined to consider celebrities as influential factors in their purchasing decisions. This study contributes valuable insights into the phenomenon of the “celebrity effect” in advertising. It enhances the understanding of how celebrities impact consumer attention and purchasing decisions, offering brand owners a deeper understanding of leveraging this strategy effectively in their product promotion efforts.