Effect of Celebrity Trustworthiness on Brand Performance of the Dairy Industry in Kenya

Jackson Ilasemwa  Gevera; William Kingi; Benedict M. Mutuku

doi:10.61250/ssmj/v1.i4.8

Authors

Jackson Ilasemwa Gevera Technical University of Mombasa Author
Dr. William Kingi Technical University of Mombasa Author
Dr. Benedict M. Mutuku Technical University of Mombasa Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61250/ssmj/v1.i4.8

Keywords:

Celebrity Trustworthiness, Brand Performance, Marketing Strategy Alignment, Celebrity Endorsement, Source Credibility Theory, Contingency Theory, Kenya

Abstract

Celebrity endorsements leverage the fame, credibility and influence of celebrities to create favourable associations between endorsers and brands, potentially enhancing consumer perceptions and brand performance. This study examined the effect of Celebrity Trustworthiness on Brand Performance in the Kenyan dairy industry and further investigated whether Marketing Strategy Alignment moderates this relationship. Specifically, the study sought to determine the effect of Celebrity Trustworthiness on Brand Performance and establish the moderating effect of Marketing Strategy Alignment on the relationship between Celebrity Trustworthiness and Brand Performance. The study was guided by Source Credibility Theory and Contingency Theory, and adopted a positivist research philosophy and survey research design. The target population comprised 218 dairy firms in Kenya, from which a sample of 141 managers was selected using stratified sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis with interaction terms to test the moderating effect. The findings established that Celebrity Trustworthiness had a positive and statistically significant effect on Brand Performance (B = 0.328, β = 0.325, t = 5.066, p < .001). The direct-effect model explained 48.2% of the variance in Brand Performance (R² = .482). When Marketing Strategy Alignment and the interaction terms were incorporated, the explanatory power increased to 51.6% (R² = .516), representing an incremental increase of 3.4 percentage points. Importantly, the interaction between Celebrity Trustworthiness and Marketing Strategy Alignment was positive and statistically significant (B = 0.086, β = 0.272, t = 2.573, p = .011), confirming that Marketing Strategy Alignment positively moderates the relationship between Celebrity Trustworthiness and Brand Performance. The study concludes that celebrity trustworthiness is an important determinant of brand performance and that its effectiveness is enhanced when celebrity endorsement activities are strategically aligned with the firm's broader marketing strategy. The study recommends that dairy firms should select celebrities who are perceived as credible, honest and dependable and should integrate celebrity endorsement activities with their overall marketing strategies to maximize brand performance. The findings provide empirical support for Source Credibility and Contingency perspectives while extending their application to the Kenyan dairy industry.

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