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Abstract:
Celebrity endorsement usually involves a written or spoken statement by a public or sometimes private individual promoting the qualities of a particular brand or product. The telecommunication industry in Nigeria has witnessed very stiff competition since 2001 when the first set of GSM operators kicked off operation in the country. This competition has led to the folding up of a number of cellular Network providers in the country. With the growing competition, GSM operators in the country have since then been employing series of marketing communication tools to combat competition. One of which is celebrity endorsement. Globacom, one of the largest telecommunication companies in Nigeria has constantly employed celebrity endorsement and has used about 50 movie, music, football stars, media personalities and statesmen from inception. This study made use of Credibility Model and Source Attractiveness Model theories as a theoretical framework. The study made use of a combination of questionnaires and In-depth interviews to gather data; 200 questionnaires were distributed around Lagos, Nigeria and an interview was conducted with the head of Marketing of Globacom Nigeria. The findings of the research showed that although Celebrity endorsement is a good way to capture the attention of prospective customers, what actually makes these customers stay and what attracts the majority of the brand's customers is not the celebrity but the quality of the product.
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