The relationship between product match-up in advertisement and consumers’ purchase intention of personal care products

The changing business environment has propelled marketers to use different kinds of marketing strategies to achieve their organizational goals and celebrity endorsement is one of the marketing strategies adopted by many companies today to attain their marketing objectives. A search of leading electronic journal databases indicates that limited studies that specifically investigate the effectiveness of product up in celebrity endorsement in advertisements on young consumers’ purchase intentions of skin-care products in Malaysia. Much research has been documented on the effect of product matchup on consumers’ decision to purchase advertised products. However, there are mixed and inconclusive findings. Therefore, the study determined how a match-up between a spokespersons’ image and the product image may influence consumers’ purchase intentions of L’Oreal’s skin-care products. A sample of 280 respondents were surveyed using random sampling. The study found that consumers are more likely to be influenced by advertising messages communicated by spokespersons that have similar interest with the target audience. Therefore, L’Oreal needs to only select endorsers based on their ability to relate with the target audience and enhance sales messages because endorsing celebrities whose image matches the brand and the target audience can convey a more convincing message which can lead to increased purchase intentions. Thus, it is recommended here that L’Oreal should only endorse spokespersons whose image and lifestyles is similar to the desire brand image being communicated to the target audience because sales revenue can be increased when celebrities who share similar values and personalities with both the brand are endorsed. This is because endorsers transfer their unique images into the product and this stimulates the chances of consumers buying the advertised brand.