Quantifying the Evidential Value of Celebrity Endorsement: A p-Curve Analysis

Authors

  • Shiyun Tian Sacred Heart University
  • Ruoyu Sun University of Miami
  • Qian Huang Miami University
  • John Petit University of Miami

Keywords:

p-curve analysis, celebrity endorsements, advertising effectiveness, evidential value

Abstract

Celebrity endorsements have long been used as a promotional tool in marketing communication. However, literature has documented inconsistent findings on the effects of celebrity endorsements compared to no endorsement or noncelebrity endorsements, suggesting a close examination about the reliability and robustness of celebrity endorsements is needed. This study conducted a p-curve analysis among two sets of published studies based on different comparison groups (celebrity endorsements vs. no celebrity endorsement; celebrity endorsements vs. noncelebrity endorsements) to investigate if both sets of studies contain an evidential value. The significantly right-skewed p curve suggests that both sets of published studies have some integrity. However, the studies that compared celebrity endorsements with no celebrity endorsements showed low statistical power. Theoretical and methodological implications for celebrity endorsement research were discussed. 

Author Biographies

Shiyun Tian, Sacred Heart University

Shiyun Tian is an assistant professor at the Welch College of Business & Technology, Sacred Heart University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of emerging technology, marketing, and consumer psychology. She is interested in how technologies and other factors (e.g., contextual, message) influence consumer’s cognitive, affective and behavioral responses.

Ruoyu Sun, University of Miami

Ruoyu Sun is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Miami's School of Communication. Ruoyu's research interests revolve around the intersection of strategic communication, social media, and activism. Some specific topics that Ruoyu is particularly interested in include corporate social advocacy, interrelationships between social media engagement and activism, and information and misinformation sharing. Her work has been published in Public Relations Review, Science Communication, Telematics and Informatics, and Journal of Marketing Communications.

Qian Huang, Miami University

Qian Huang is an assistant professor at the Department of Interdisciplinary and Communication studies of Miami University, Ohio. Her research interests lie in three areas: 1) cues to action in health promotion, especially vaccination, 2) perspective taking in health contexts, and 3) risk communication.

John Petit, University of Miami

John Petit is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Communication, University of Miami. His primary research interests include computer-mediated communication and media psychology.

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Published

2022-06-28

Issue

Vol. 16 (2022)

Section

Articles

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