What Makes a Human Brand Authentic? Identifying the Antecedents of Celebrity Authenticity

TLDR

Authenticity has been studied in marketing, yet the factors shaping perceived authenticity of a celebrity’s human brand remain unexplored. This study aims to identify the antecedents of celebrity authenticity, defined as the perception that a celebrity behaves in accordance with their true self. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of an open‑ended survey of 218 adults and prior authenticity and attribution theory, the authors propose two antecedents—rarity and stability—each comprising three sub‑dimensions. Survey data from 428 adults confirm that both rarity and stability positively influence celebrity authenticity, and that these effects are moderated by age according to aging stability theory.

Abstract

ABSTRACT While authenticity has received considerable attention in the marketing literature, the factors that influence the perceived authenticity of a celebrity's “human brand” have remained unexplored. This research fills this void by identifying the antecedents of celebrity authenticity, defined as the perception that a celebrity behaves according to his or her true self . Based on a qualitative analysis of an open‐ended survey completed by 218 adults and on previous authenticity literature and attribution theory, the authors propose two antecedents of celebrity authenticity—rarity and stability—that are each composed of three sub‐dimensions. Analyses of cross‐sectional survey data from a sample of 428 adults provide support for the hypotheses that stability and rarity positively influence celebrity authenticity. Additionally, based on aging stability theory, the authors predict and demonstrate that the effects of rarity and stability on celebrity authenticity are moderated by age.