Peymus o Laôs : The Effect of Endorser Credibility on Millennial Consumers Purchase Intention Towards a Casual Dining Restaurant

Running an advertisement is already an expensive undertaking for many organizations, not to mention advertisements carrying a well-known celebrity further inflate the costs. Despite the generally positive aspects of endorsement on the evaluation of products, in some cases, celebrities may not substantially help promote products. This paper evaluated the effects of perceived credibility of endorsers in influencing purchase intent among millennials following the source credibility model. This also compared the effectiveness level of advertisements delivered by a popular TV star and by obscure, unknown people. A descriptive research was conducted through an online survey participated by 113 residents of Pampanga province belonging to age group 25-39. Analyses revealed that for both celebrity and non-celebrity, endorser’s attractiveness, trustworthiness, and expertise are directly linked to purchase intention. Another key finding is that millennial consumers are unconvinced about whether they dine at or order from a notable Filipino restaurant when shown with celebrity-led endorsement. This is evidenced by a statistically significant higher purchase intention results generated from a non-celebrity endorsement of the same restaurant. In both academia and the corporate world, there is a number of studies that would either support or negate the results of this current study. The researchers concluded that for young Filipinos, credibility matters, and this credibility is not a sole dominion of a celebrity. As an application, it is recommended for any organization and ad firm to evaluate one’s product, its credibility and image, the target market, and the organization’s need for a credible endorser. It is further recommended for future studies to determine the relationship between the advertisement theme or campaign messaging and the entire effectiveness level of an endorsement.