5 https://ijbassnet.com/ http://dx.doi.org/10.33642/ijbass.v7n12p3 ©Center for Promoting Education and Research (CPER) USA www.cpernet.org International Journal of Business and Applied Social Science (IJBASS) E-ISSN: 2469-6501 VOL: 7, ISSUE: 12 December/2021 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.33642/ijbass.v7n12p3 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Influence of Celebrity Endorsement On the Purchase of Slim Tea by Female Undergraduate Students in Selected Southeast Nigerian Universities ANYAKOHA, B.U. Department of Mass Communication University of Nigeria Email: belinda.anyakoha@unn.edu.ng Nigeria Odenigbo, C.I. Department of Mass Communication University of Nigeria Email: cynthiaodenigbo1@gmail.com Nigeria Akata, U.C.M Department of Mass Communication University of Nigeria Email: ukamaka.akata@unn.edu.ng Nigeria ABSTRACT This study explored the influence exerted by celebrity endorsement on the purchase of slim tea products by female undergraduate students in universities in southeast Nigeria. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the relationship between the brand image of slime tea and celebrity endorsement, identify how celebrity choice influences the brand image of a product, and also examine how female undergraduate students’ choice of brand product is driven by celebrity influence. The population of this study consisted of female undergraduate students in the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Madonna University Okija, and Ebonyi State University Abakiliki. A multistage sampling technique was used to arrive at a required sample size of 383. I did an oversampling and a total of 400 copies of the questionnaire were distributed and 392 copies of this questionnaire were filled and returned, making for a return rate of 98%. Findings from this study showed that respondents believe that celebrity endorsement can influence their brand choice. And that the choice of celebrity used matters a lot. If an organization fails to provide a positive and strong brand image, it may directly or indirectly affect consumers’ decision-making; as consumers may shift to competitors that offer a better experience. From the findings of this study, it is recommended that advertisers should make use of the right celebrities to enhance the brand image of their products and also consider celebrities whose profession and lifestyle are in sync with the products and services that they are endorsing. Keywords: Celebrity endorsement, slim tea, brand image, celebrity influence, advertising, marketing. Introduction A celebrity is a famous person, one who is popular and powerful and that is very much appreciated. One who is very much talked about by most individuals in a society; they may be an artist, an actor, or a famous scholar. Celebrities are individuals who appreciate the open acknowledgment and who often have distinctive qualities such as attractiveness and trustworthiness (Silvera and Austad, 2004). A celebrity endorser is “any person who appreciates open recognition and who uses this recognition on behalf of a consumer good by showing up with it in an advertisement” (McCracken 1989). According to Friedman and Friedman (1979), in the promotion of products high in psychological and/or social risk, the use of celebrity endorsers would lead to greater believability, a more favorable evaluation of the product and advertisement, and a significantly more positive purchase intention. Celebrity endorsements are now common in the advertising world as an advertising strategy to cajole customers into purchasing their goods and services. Celebrity endorsement influences the brand image of a product as people automatically assume the product must be good and of a high standard. According to Wimmer and Domonic (2014), “when you get a celebrity to endorse your company or sign licensing agreement, you benefit from customer awareness of the property, which could include the perception of the quality, educational value or a certain image”. Contemporary society is characterized by great quantities of not just products, but brands of uncountable numbers, not just from the domestic market, but also from the globalizing market of the world. Morgenstein (2014) stated that the world we live in is about influencers and that is all a celebrity is. The study further mentioned that celebrities are individuals who stimulate others by their activities and the virtue of their persona. They have a way of influencing the audience on what is ideal and a lot of people look up to them for inspiration. This form of advertising can be traced to the time Pope Leo XIII's 1899 endorsed the alcoholic beverage Vin Mariani, (Garthwaite, 2014). Advertisers believe that whatever these persons present 18