Investigating the effect of advertising by the famous sports figures on the tendency to buy sports and non-sports goods: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Nowadays, identifying the factors influencing consumer purchase behavior has come at the forefront of corporate attention. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the impact of advertising using celebrity athletes on the intention to purchase sports and non-sports goods. This is an applied study that employs a quasi-experimental method. This study was conducted as a pre-test and post-test on an available and voluntary sample of 150 sport science students of the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Data were collected using Zaichkowski’s Standardized Purchase Intention Questionnaire (1985) by SPSS version 23. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were investigated. The results showed that celebrity athlete endorsement had a significant positive effect on the intention to purchase sports and non-sports goods. However, celebrity athlete endorsement has increased the intention to purchase sports goods significantly more than the intention to purchase non-sports goods. Thus, the use of celebrity athletes in advertising can exert a significant and beneficial influence on the behavior and intention of consumers to purchase sporting and non-sports goods. A celebrity endorser is advised to have the necessary expertise in and knowledge of the good in question.