The influence of self-disclosure micro-celebrity endorsement on subsequent brand attachment: from an emotional connection perspective

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of micro-celebrity endorsements on brand attachment using the emotional connections of followers to the self-disclosure micro-celebrities on Instagram as mediator variables. The research involved target audiences who followed micro-celebrities on Instagram in Taiwan and employed quota sampling to distribute questionnaires on the social media platform. Four hundred eighteen valid samples were collected in the spring of 2022 and analyzed with structural equation modeling. The empirical results indicate that the main path was from homophily through relatedness need satisfaction to brand attachment (HOM→RNS→BA). Regarding relatedness need satisfaction as a mediator variable, homophily had a greater impact on brand attachment than benign envy. Moreover, this study is the first to expand the effects of emotional connection to brand attachment while showing that homophily and attractiveness positively impact brand attachment through benign envy and relatedness need satisfaction in micro-celebrity endorsements.