Trust-commitment as a mediator of the celebrity endorser-brand equity relationship in a service context

The current study extends the endorsement literature by examining it in the trust'commitment framework.Specifically, the trust'commitment framework is examined as a mediator of the effect of endorsercredibility on consumer perceived brand equity as well as consumer expectations of relationship continuity.The current study is conducted within a pure service (i.e., telecom service) context; adding incrementalvalue to the findings given the pivotal role of the trust'commitment framework. The conceptualmodel is estimated using a sample of 525 Indian consumers that evaluate some of the major Indian telecomsector brand-and-endorser combinations. The model fits the data adequately, and the analysis supportsa fully mediated role of the trust'commitment framework in explaining the hypothesizedoutcomes. The study complements theoretical perspectives on endorser effects, and suggests a relationship facilitating role of celebrity endorsements.