Impact of Celebrity Pitch in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs

Abstract

Online surveys were conducted to determine the impact of endorser credibility, endorser effectiveness, and consumers’ involvement in direct-to-consumer advertising. In a randomized posttest only study, using the elaboration likelihood model, survey participants (U.S. adults) were either exposed to a fictitious prescription drug ad with a celebrity or a noncelebrity endorser. There was no significant difference in credibility and effectiveness between the celebrity and the noncelebrity endorser. High involvement consumers viewed the ad more favorably and exhibited significantly stronger drug inquiry intentions during their next doctor visit. Further, consumers’ involvement did not moderate the effect of celebrity endorser.

KEYWORDS:

• celebrity endorsement
• direct-to-consumer advertising
• source credibility
• involvement

Acknowledgments

This article is based on the doctoral dissertation of the second author. All authors were affiliated with The University of Georgia during the data collection of this study. We would like to thank NexCura for their assistance with the data collection, and those who kindly volunteered to participate in the study. We thank Pfizer and AstraZeneca for providing partial financial support for this study. The results reported in this study do not reflect the views of Pfizer or AstraZeneca. Research from this data has been presented at the DTC National Conference, Princeton, New Jersey, 2004, and the 29th Annual Association for Marketing & Health Care Research Conference in Lake Tahoe, California, February 2010.