Abstract:
The use of celebrity endorsement as part of the overall marketing
communication plan is growing in importance. Similarly, celebrity
endorsement helps to advertise offerings and draw customers’
attention. Thus, the current study sought to examine celebrity
endorsement, customer attitude, and brand selection as determinants
of the fast-food industry performance. A cross-sectional survey
of 550 fast food customers was conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe
between February and March 2023. A purposive sampling method
was used to select respondents. The study’s findings confirm all
direct relationships. A partial mediation effect of brand awareness
and customer attitude on the celebrity endorsement and fast food
performance relationship was also confirmed. Also, customer age
and perceived service quality were found to moderate the relationship
between celebrity endorsement and fast food industry performance
relationship. Management within the fast food industry
were advised not to treat all the study variables in isolation since
they complement each other. This is meant to improve the performance
of firms within the retail fast food industry. The current study
findings are useful as no study has been conducted within emerging
markets within the sub-Saharan region to focus on customer
attitude and brand selection as mediators between the celebrity
endorsement and business performance relationship within the fast
food industry. Moreover, little is known about prior studies that
included customer’s age and perceived service quality as moderators
of the effect of celebrity endorsement on retail business performance.
Thus, the current study findings narrow this knowledge
gap in the literature.
