Celebrity endorsers and social media influencers for leveraging consumer advocacy and relationship intentions - a multivariate mediation analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the comparative effects of mainstream celebrities and social media influencers on consumer advocacy and relationship intentions. The study also examines the direct and serial mediation effects on those relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 718 respondents throughout Malaysia, with convenience and snowball sampling techniques employed. The data were analyzed based on the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach through the AMOS version 24. The PROCESS MACRO v-4.20 was applied to evaluate mediating effects in the model.FindingsThe results reveal that celebrity endorsers' involvement in social media significantly influences the uses of social media, which also impacts the attitudes and, subsequently, consumer relationship and advocacy intentions. The study found that mainstream celebrities and social media influencers effectively promote brands, and it discovered insignificant differences in their effects on the analyzed relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has been conducted on consumers in Malaysia; it may have different effects on consumers in other countries.Practical implicationsBrand managers and policymakers may benefit from following the study's guidelines for making consumer relationship and advocacy intentions by celebrity endorsers and uses of social media.Social implicationsThe brand community can benefit from tightening their social bondage by sharing and managing crucial information from celebrities and using social media.Originality/valueThe study explores the effects of mainstream celebrities on consumer relationship and advocacy intentions using social media networks and managing consumer attitudes.