Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2002
Abstract
This study draws on two different inquiry methologies to explore the issue of advertising effectiveness of celebrity endorsers in a nonprofit setting. In Chapter 2 the author develops a framework that incorporates connection (congruence), source credibility, involvement, and gender as key elements in understanding the connection between celebrity endorsers and nonprofit organizations, and its impact on advertising effectiveness. In a controlled experiment the proposed model is tested using data collected in 12 sessions at two west coast universities (N=398). The results of this quantitative study support the principal model that posits a realtionship between connection, source credibility, and intention to volunteer or donate money, but does not validate the interaction of involvement and gender with connection. Overall, the proposed framework models the effect of the cognitive components of connection and source credibility of celebrity endorsement advertising in a nonprofit setting on the intention to volunteer time or donate money; and in doing so, does not rely on the "attractiveness" dimension of celebrity, as do so many other frameworks. In Chapters 3 and 4 the author presents two practitioner oriented articles that explore the nonprofit celebrity endorser from the viewpoint of the nonprofit professional. These articles are based on twelve in-depth qualitative interviews with national, regional and local nonprofit executives and consultants. In the first article key celebrity attributes and business issues are identified as being of primary importance to the agency when choosing a celebrity endorser. connection with the organization, character of the celebrity, communication ability, and caring about the cause, are all identified as desireable attributes for a prospective celebrity endorser to possess. In the second article a list of five tips for success and five traps to avoid in choosing a celebrity endorser are detailed. These tips and traps are based on actual experiences as told by the nonprofit leaders.
Keywords
nonprofit organizations -- marketing
Rights
© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Department/Center
Design & Innovation
Recommended Citation
Wheeler, Robert T., "The Connected Celebrity and Nonprofit Advertising" (2002). Student Scholarship. 434.
https://commons.case.edu/studentworks/434