How Endorsers Create Click Intention: A Study of the Norwegian Painting Tool Brand Jordan

Abstract

Consumers are increasingly using online search engines to gain information about products and services. The use of endorser has for a long time been a popular strategy in digital advertising. A challenge for brands today, however, is to choose the right endorser to represent the brand, product and the ad to make the advertisement as efficient as possible. Previous research on advertising effectiveness indicates that expertise and trustworthiness are essential factors for the persuasiveness of the ad. The purpose of this study is to investigate if the choice of the endorser and the level of involvement could affect consumers liking of the ad. Thus, increase their intention to click the ad to gain more information on the brand’s website. Additionally, the study investigates how brands can strengthen brand associations to make their brand “top of mind” when consumers are thinking of painting their home. The brand used in this study is the Norwegian painting tool brand Jordan, owned by Orkla. The study provides a review of the literature within advertising efficiency on endorsement, involvement, source credibility, click intention, attitude towards ad and brand association. Five hypotheses were developed to investigate the relationship between these variables. The data was collected through an online survey with experimental design. The study contained 258 respondents, divided into six different conditions with three different endorsers and two levels of involvement. Findings indicate that higher expertise will lead to higher source credibility, and thus have a positive effect on attitude towards the ad. Additionally, findings show a positive attitude towards the ad will lead to higher click intention and brand associations. This study contributes with advertising strategies regarding involvement and the use of endorser for Jordan and other brands. Managerial implications in terms of advertising effectiveness are presented together with suggestions for future research.