I think I can, I think I can; A qualitative investigation of celebrity endorsement and meaning transfer’s role in building consumer self confidence

Abstract

ABSTRACT While prior research has highlighted the use of product purchases to build one’s self-confidence or has highlighted the ability of a celebrity endorsement to increase consumers’ confidence in their purchase of the product or the quality of the endorsed product, work that delineates the specific types of confidence that celebrity endorsement may provide consumers is scant. Leveraging the meaning transfer theory, this paper employs qualitative research design and draws on grounded theory methodology to examine consumers’ use of celebrity meanings through the consumption of celebrity-endorsed products to build confidence. The paper provides new insight into consumers’ use of celebrity meanings in constructing the self. Three forms of celebrity-evoked self-confidence emerged: validation, performance ability, and social insurance. While the first two are used to strengthen self-confidence, the third confidence is a form of feeling protected or safe. These findings add novel insight into consumers’ uses of celebrity-endorsed products.