Abstract:
The Fast moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector in Sri Lanka is rapidly growing and
seems to be aggressively competitive among the both local and international brands. High
frequency of purchasing, less involvement and number of varieties have made this sector
a competitive one. Branding is the key determinant factor in the context of acquiring
brand loyalty and the high involvement for the brand which are the results of brand
preference at large.
Marketing communication is the strategically important tool for celebrities developing
the brand preference and both of above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL)
promotional tools use as an endorsement or testimonial to promote their brands.Therefor,
the research focused to study the degree of involvement of those celebrity endorsements
in the context of advertising. The study was confined to three variables namely
expertness, populatity, matuarity and the trustworthiness of the celebrities used in the
advertising.
Researches used a 75 of randomly sample from the areas of Kelaniya, Gampaha, Jaela
and Kadawatha. They were administered with a pre-prepared questionnaire. In addition,
the secondary data were also collected to study the industry background.
The research was confined to three categories of product namely foods, beverages and
soaps. The statistical analysis revealed that there is a significant influence of celebrity
endorsements for the food brands than the others.Futher, customers are highly attractive
for the popularity of those celebrities to trust what they endorse. It was revealed that the
celebrities of sport sector are more significant than the cinema and other fields in the
context of celebrity endorsements. Trustworthiness was significantly considered in soap
categories and cinema sector celebrities were prioritized in that segment only.
