I’m Not a Doctor, But I Play One on TV: The Effects of Context and Character Perceptions on Endorser Effectiveness

Abstract

This study examines how placing endorser ads in the context of entertainment content that also features the endorser affects responses to the endorser and to the ads. An experiment (N = 161) found that viewing an endorser ad in the context of entertainment content featuring that endorser does not affect responses to the ad; however, frequent viewing of such content results in more favorable perceptions of the character portrayed by the endorser, which in turn leads to more favorable responses to endorser and ad alike. Character perceptions thus are an important influence on endorser perceptions and ad effectiveness. Implications of the findings for advertising research are discussed.