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

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.