Abstract:
This study focused on evaluating the contribution of celebrity endorsement to University student’s
buying behaviour in developing countries and this was achieved through the phenomenological
philosophy and a case study design. The sample was made up of 100 respondents. Questionnaires
and focus group discussions were used to collect data from the respondents. The results obtained
from the study show that celebrity endorsement has a positive influence on university student’s
buying behaviour. Results from the study also show that celebrities hold power to influence
consumer perception and life style choices. Furthermore, it was established that celebrity
endorsement positively contributes to sales, brand awareness of the brand. The study findings also
show that domestic celebrities from Zimbabwe are not trusted by consumers due to their bad
behaviour such as drug abuse. Hence, it was concluded that celebrity endorsement is a powerful
advertising tool which positively contributes to consumer buying behaviour but however in
implementing celebrity endorsement in developing countries careful evaluation of the endorser
has to be taken before the strategy is fully implemented. Therefore, the study recommends that the
match up hypothesis model approach and international celebrities should be used by companies in
developing countries in order to enhance their marketing skills and sales.
