FROM CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT TO GREEN BRAND EQUITY: A STUDY OF PAKISTANI YOUNG CONSUMERS

Abstract

This study investigates the role of green celebrity endorsement in shaping green brand equity (GBE), focusing on two key predictors: green celebrity credibility (GCC) and green celebrity worship (GCW). Data were collected from 167 university students in Pakistan, a population highly engaged with both celebrity culture and sustainability. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), results reveal that GCC has a strong and significant effect on GBE (β = .611), while GCW also contributes positively but with a weaker influence (β = .135). The measurement model demonstrated robust reliability and validity, with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding .94 across all constructs. These findings confirm that credibility dimensions—expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness—serve as the dominant mechanism in transferring meaning from celebrities to brands, while worship-based attachments, reflected through entertainment–social, intense–personal, and borderline–pathological stages, provide supplementary support in strengthening consumer–brand connections. The study contributes theoretically by integrating endorsement credibility and worship perspectives into the green marketing context, while offering managerial insights for brand managers to prioritize credible endorsers and strategically leverage fan–celebrity ties. Limitations regarding sample scope and research design are acknowledged, with future research suggested across cultural contexts and endorsement conditions.