Black generation Y students’ perceptions of national sport celebrity endorsers as role models

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate black Generation Y students’ perceptions of national sport celebrity endorsers as role models, and assess how this role model status influences the consumption-related behavioural intentions of this target market. The black Generation Y cohort(individuals born between 1980 and 1994) represents a large percentage of the South African market, and the students enrolled at tertiary institutions constitute a particularly attractive target market to marketers given that tertiary education is correlated with a higher earning potential and a higher social class status. A convenience sample of 400 students across the four South African public higher education institutions situated in the Gauteng province campuses was taken. Questionnaires, designed to measure the influence sport celebrity role models have on theconsumption-related behavioural intentions of black Generation Y students, were hand delivered to lecturers at each of these campuses who were requested to ask their students to complete them. The collected data were analysed using correlation and regression analyses. The findings suggest that sport celebrity role models do have a positive influence on black Generation Y students’ behavioural intentions of favourable word-of-mouth communication and brand loyalty.