Fostering Parasocial Relationships with Celebrities on Social Media: Implications for Celebrity Endorsement

TLDR

Parasocial relationships, self‑disclosure, and celebrity endorsement theories suggest that social media can shape consumer perceptions of endorsers. The study explores how social media use influences the effectiveness of celebrity endorsers. The authors developed a theoretical model linking social media interactions, self‑disclosure, parasocial relationships, source trustworthiness, brand credibility, and purchase intention, and tested it with an online survey of 400 Korean Wave fans in Singapore. Consumers’ parasocial interactions with celebrities via social media positively influence endorsement effectiveness, with parasocial relationships mediating the link between social media interactions and source trustworthiness, self‑disclosure driving parasocial relationships, and source trustworthiness boosting brand credibility and purchase intention.

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the underlying mechanisms through which the use of social media affects endorser effectiveness. Based on theories related to parasocial relationships, self‐disclosure, and celebrity endorsement, this study proposed a theoretical research model and empirically tested the model using online survey data collected from 400 Korean Wave fans in Singapore. The results showed that consumers’ parasocial interactions with celebrities though social media have a positive impact on celebrity endorsement. Specifically, we found that: (1) parasocial relationships mediated the relationships between social media interactions and source trustworthiness, (2) social media interactions influenced parasocial relationships via self‐disclosure; and (3) source trustworthiness had a positive effect on brand credibility, which, in turn, led to purchase intention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.