The Effect of Para-Social Interaction in Endorsement Advertising: SEM Studies Based on Consumers’ Exposure to Celebrity Symbols

This paper explores how consumers’ para-social interaction(PSI) bridges source credibility and consumer brand-related responses when they are exposed to advertising images with celebrity symbols. Two studies were conducted by collecting data through online surveys. The results, based on a structural equation modelling analysis, show that both perceived attractiveness and expertise of celebrities could affect the strength of consumer-celebrity PSI, which in turn allow the consumer to establish a personal connection with the endorsed brand and result in positive brand-related responses. Additionally, when a celebrity possess only one kind of advantage, whether it is perceived physical appearance or perceived expertise in specific field, the audience’s willingness to interact with the celebrity would increase as the celebrity’s perceived expertise increases. But when a celebrity is outstanding in both perceived physical appearance and perceived expertise, the intensity of the audience’s willingness to interact with the celebrity is more susceptible to the change of the perceived appearance of the celebrity. The research proves the indispensable role of the consumer-celebrity PSI for transferring the symbolic meaning of the celebrity endorser to the meaning of the consumer self, inspiring the consumercelebrity relationship perspective in endorsement advertising research. In addition, the research supplies the source credibility models and brand attitude models.