The Extended Match-Up Hypothesis Model: The Role of Self-Referencing in Athlete Endorsement Effects

Abstract

The current study proposes an extended match-up hypothesis model. Previous literature on the match-up hypothesis model has largely focused on the match between a celebrity endorser and a product and reached a general conclusion that a good match plays a positive role in advertising effectiveness. However, prior research overlooked a crucial association in explaining advertising effectiveness - the association between an endorser and a consumer. Therefore, the current study added the association between a celebrity endorser (i.e., a female athlete endorser) and a consumer in the match-up hypothesis model, using the concept of self-referencing. The results indicate that self-referencing with an athlete endorser serves a significant role in predicting athlete endorsement effects.