Influence of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur

Abstract

The present study seeks the relations between brands endorsed by celebs and rural buying behavior. Personal Care Products have been taken as a sample to represent this category. For the data collection, Simple Random sampling was used to draw the required sample size for this study. Convenient villages have been considered for the study from each zone and a sample size of 1170 has been finalized after discussion with the experts of rural Nagpur. Data synthesis and interpretation were done with the help of SPSS 21.0 software. Keywords: Brand endorsed by a celebrity, occupation of rural consumers, and purchase of branded products.

Full text

Ilkogretim Online - Elementary Education Online, 2021; Vol 20 (Issue 3): pp. 3125-3135
http://ilkogretim-online.org
doi: 10.17051/ilkonline.2021.03.322
3125 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural
Nagpur
Manoj B. Pandey Assistant Professor, Central India College of Business Management &
Studies, Nagpur.
Manoj Rao Assistant Professor, Central India College of Business Management & Studies,
Nagpur.
Mahesh Singh Associate Professor, Department of Management, Kebri Dehar University,
Kebri Dehar, Ethiopia, mahesh300@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1471-1586
Surendra S Jogi Assistant Professor, Madhukarrao Pandav College of Engineering, Nagpur.
Prashant R. Patil Professor, Radhikatai Pandav College of Engineering, Nagpur.
Abstract
The present study seeks the relations between brands endorsed by celebs and rural buying
behavior. Personal Care Products have been taken as a sample to represent this category.
For the data collection, Simple Random sampling was used to draw the required sample size
for this study. Convenient villages have been considered for the study from each zone and a
sample size of 1170 has been finalized after discussion with the experts of rural Nagpur. Data
synthesis and interpretation were done with the help of SPSS 21.0 software.
Keywords: Brand endorsed by a celebrity, occupation of rural consumers, and purchase of
branded products.
Corresponding Author: Mahesh Singh, Associate Professor, Department of Management,
Kebri Dehar University, Kebri Dehar, Ethiopia, mahesh300@gmail.com,
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1471-1586
Introduction
A Consumer is considered to be a rational decision-maker who has well-defined preferences.
Preferences for goods may depend on prices because people judge quality by price (Pollak,
1977). Consumer behavior and buying decisions are influenced by the characteristics of each
consumer. Like Age and lifestyle, Purchasing Power, Personality, and self-concept are the
main drivers (Singh et al., 2016). When a consumer decides what he is going to purchase to
satisfy an emerging need, his actions applied in his purchasing decision are influenced by a
variety of factors (Lacey et.al. 2009). The positioning of the product is depending on the

3126 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
consumption of the product (Noseworthy et.al., 2011) and how the consumers perceived its
standing, its quality, the type of consumer who uses it, its strengths and weakness,
memorable characteristics, price, and value, promoted image and value (Harrision 1989).
People, whether located in a city or village, buy products and consume them and they all are
consumers (Chaugule, 2019). The companies are trying to trigger growth in rural areas. They
are identifying the fact that rural people are now in a better position with disposable income.
The low rate of finance availability has also increased the affordability of purchasing costly
products by rural people. Marketers should understand the price sensitivity of a consumer
in a rural area. The small sachet packs are examples of price sensitivity. Colgate has done this
experiment by launching sachet packs for rural markets (Chandrasekhar, 2012). Contrary,
urban consumers generally are known to have distinct characteristics compared with rural
consumers (Muniswamy, 2017).
The rural market’s situations and circumstances are quite different when compared to the
urban market. Due to the increasing level of literacy along with penetration of informative
media in the rural area, nowadays other members of the consumer’s family in the rural area
also started to participate in the decision-making process with the bread earner. The
younger generation in rural areas is now spending more on personal care and grooming
products (Saraswat, et.al. 2011).
When the comparison is made with the urban counterpart i.e., it is felt necessary to study
how rural consumers behave due to carrying different profiles into them. Study indicates
that rural consumers are less quality, functions, and brand conscious compared to urban
consumers. Hence, there is a need to conduct a research study to understand the buying
behavior of rural consumers and whether a brand endorsed by celebrity influences the
purchase decision of the rural.
Literature Review
Ladda (2015) found that rural consumer awareness and knowledge about the product and
brand have a significant impact on consumer behavior.
Chakraborty, D. et.al., (2018) revealed that familiarity was the most influencing factor under
celebrity endorsements which had a significant and positive effect on the purchase intention
of SIM cards among rural consumers of West Bengal.
Anandan. C et al. (2007) found that quality was the major driver to prefer a particular brand
in washing soaps in the rural market. If preferred brands were not available, customers buy
the available brands. It is found that there was a significant relationship between the age of
the respondent and the factors influencing the customer’s brand preferences. It is also found
that there was no significant relationship between the type of income of the respondent and
the factors influencing the customer’s brand preferences. High prices and non-availability
were the key reasons for the dissatisfaction of rural consumers.
Rural Consumers often is said to be price sensitive and least brand conscious (Kumar, et.al
2008). While talking about the profile of rural consumers it can be observed that the profile
of rural consumers is changing rapidly. When it comes to the brand awareness level of rural

3127 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
consumers, it has been found that they are fully aware of the leading brands (Bishnoi 2008).
Rural consumers have gradually been graduating from generic to branded products. In such
situations, the brand name serves as an efficient mode of communication with rural
consumers. The brand serves as the key confidence-building source among rural consumers.
People from both rural and urban areas have shown interest in celebrity endorsement and
rural people even prefer to watch advertisements in between their favorite shows but not
much of the impact is seen by the celebrity endorsement (Garima Malik 2014). Celebrity
endorsement enhances product information and creates awareness among consumers
(Sridevi 2012). Celebrity endorsement undertook factors such as brand positioning, brand
identity, brand equity, brand awareness, brand image, and brand personality in the case of
Indian small towns (Makwana et.al 2015). In the rural consumer market, a few studies were
studied on Celebrity Endorsed Advertising and Branding Impact on Purchase Intention. This
was taken as a research gap for the study and went through the survey (Naresh Babu 2016).
The available literature mentions that Awareness (Lokhande, 2004, Bajaj 2018, Godbole
2019), Quality (Mitra, Rashmi & Venu Gopal, Pingah, 2000, Godbole, 2019), Price
(Sarangapani and Mamatha, 2008), Promotional Activity (Mishra 2018), Income (Lokhande,
2004, Juyal, 2015, Jha 2013), packaging and celebrity endorsements (Godbole 2019), faithful
and trustworthy (Bhatnagar, 2011), age and education (Pradhan 2015, Kumar et.al 2014),
Opinion leaders (Sayulu and Ramana Reddy, 1996), source of information (Juyal, 2015)
influence the buying behavior of Rural Consumers. Brand as a motivator for purchase of
mobile in the rural and urban consumer of Amravati District (Akarte. et.al, 2012). Even
though most of the people were illiterate yet they were aware of the brand. (Bhatnagar,
2011). Relatively little research had been carried out specifically on a brand endorsed by
celebrity influences the purchase decision of the rural Nagpur District.
Research Methodology
The research design for the research study is Descriptive. The information is collected with
the help of an unbiased, and structured questionnaire through a personal Survey
(Quantitative Method). Out of the 1170 questionnaires, 1030 questionnaires were received
back that lies in the age group of 20-40 including consumer engage in Business/ Farming,
Service, and housewives in Rural Nagpur.
The collected data has been analyzed with the help of SPSS software 21.0 and the hypothesis
has been framed and it was tested with the help of “One way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis
Test”.
The present research is carried out with the objectives:
i. To identify the relationship between the occupation of rural consumers and the
purchase of branded products.
ii. To identify whether a brand endorsed by a celebrity influences the purchase decision
of the rural consumer
The hypothesis of the study:
H1: Different income group of respondent differs in decision-making over a brand endorsed
by a celeb.

3128 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
H2: Different occupation respondents behave differently over the purchase of a branded
product
Analysis of Rural Profile:
Under the study, descriptive statistics have been used to analyze the socioeconomic profile
of the respondents. The findings of the analysis are given as under:
Table 1
S.No.
Gender
Responses
1
Male
50.97%
2
Female
49.02%
Total
100%
(Primary Source)
It is observed that both males and females are occupied in the study sample. The study
reveals that out of the total respondents, 50.97% are males & 49.02% are females.
Table 2
S.No
Age Group
Responses
1
20-30
56.31%
2
30-40
43.68%
Total
100%
(Primary Source)
The age group between 20-30 years account for the highest i.e., 56.31% of the sample
respondents followed by the age group 30-40 years i.e., 43.68% of respondents.
Table 3
S.No.
Marital Status
Responses
1
Married
54.36%
2
Unmarried
45.14%
3
Divorce/Widow
0.48%
Total
100%
(Primary Source)

3129 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
It is inferred that highly responded to survey questionnaires were unmarried consumers
which is 54.36% followed by married and widow respondents which are 45.14% and 0.48%
respectively.
Table 4
S.No.
Qualification
Responses
1
Undergraduate
33.49%
2
Graduate
51.45%
3
Postgraduate
15.04%
Total
100%
(Primary Source)
The study further revealed that 51.45% are graduates, 33.49% are undergraduates and
15.04% are postgraduates.
Table 5
S.No.
Occupation
Responses
1
Unemployed
27.66%
2
Employed
50.48%
3
Self-employed
21.35%
Retired
0.48%
Total
100%
(Primary Source)
It is also observed most of the respondent was employed which is 50.48% followed by
unemployed, self-employed, and retired which is 27.66%, 21.35%, and 0.48% of
respondents respectively.
Table 6
S. No.
Sources of Information
Responses
1
Newspaper & Magazine
23.30%
2
T.V. Advertisement
46.60%
3
Radio Advertisement
0.0145%
4
Hoarding & Posters on the roadside
0.0097%

3130 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
5
I heard about the product Through a
Retailer
12.13%
6
I collect the information with Friends,
Neighbours, Relatives & family members
20.38%
(Primary Sources)
In the above tab. 1 it can be easily identified that consumers of Rural Nagpur have mentioned
T.V. advertisement is the most influential source of information which is 46.60% for personal
care products.
Table 7
S.No.
Considered Final Suggestions
Responses
1
Prefer family suggestion
42.23%
2
discuss with others before selecting the product
16.50%
3
I like to take friend suggestions while purchasing
17.96%
4
I like the Opinion leader’s suggestion on a
purchase decision
15.53%
5
I take my Own Decision
15.53%
(Primary Sources)
In the above table (table. 2) we can easily identify that rural consumer have a truly traditional
influence on themselves. The above table identified that 42.23% of rural consumers final
considered their family suggestions before purchasing any personal care products as
compared to other available options.
Table 8
S. No.
The reason behind the Selection of Product
Responses
1
I select the product which fulfills the purpose
41.26%
2
I select the product based on Personal Observation &
Experience
18.44%
3
I consider only my personal/Family requirement at
the time of purchase decision
12.135%
4
I consider all the attributes of the product while
purchasing
5.33%

3131 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
5
I do not like shopping as it’s a waste of time
2.91%
6
Generally, my family member decides while
purchasing
6.31%
(Primary Sources)
In this context, it's tried to find why rural consumers select the product? he/she selects the
products which only fulfill the purpose as his/her need only the product not any influence of
product attributes or else. In the present study, it came to know that consumers who believe
their selection for products only to fulfill the purpose are 41.26%.
H1: Different income group of respondent differs in decision-making over a brand endorsed
by a celeb.
Observed values
Table 9
Rank
Occupation
N
Mean Rank
Purchase of
Branded
Products
1
2
3
4
Total
416
230
4
174
1025
435.88
419.31
631.37
337.94
(Primary Sources)
Table 10
Test Statistics
,b
Purchase of Branded Personal
Care Products
Chi-Square
Df
Asym. Sig
8.776
3
0.27
(Primary Source)
a. Kruskal Wallis Test
b. Grouping Variable: Occupation
To validates the hypothesis, we will use the exact p-value. It is a two-tailed p-value (0.027)
Since the p-value is less than the specified level (.05), we reject H0. Thus, we have sufficient
evidence to conclude that irrespective of different occupation respondent behaves
differently over the purchase of branded products.
H2: Different occupation respondents behave differently over the purchase of a branded
product.

3132 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
Observed values
Table 11
Kruskal-Wallis Test
Rank
Income
N
Mean Rank
brands endorsed by
celebs influence
purchase decision
1
2
3
4
Total
410
228
8
174
1025
398.24
426.67
122.34
523.34
(Primary Source)
Table 12
Test Statistics,b
a. Kruskal Wallis Test (Primary Sources)
b. Grouping Variable: INCOME
We will use the exact p-value. It is a two-tailed p-value (0.561) Since the p-value is greater
than the specified level (.05), we fail to reject H0. Thus, we have sufficient evidence to
conclude that irrespective of income group respondents think that brands endorsed by
celebs influence their purchase decision.
Discussion:
Based on data analysis, discussion, findings of the study have been carried out, suggestions
have been finalized, recommendations drawn, managerial implications have been drawn and
scope for the future study finalized. It is also identified that the majority of the rural
consumer who engaged in services (employed) disagreed (as mentioned above) that
visibility and more products available create confusion and accepted that they select those
brands which they always used as compared to other consumers who engaged in business
and unemployed. On the other hand, consumers who are unemployed and self-employed
search for such brands which are Easily Available & at low Prices, prefer attractive Packing,
brands endorsed by celebs influence
purchase decision
Chi-Square
Df
Asymp. Sig.
2.714
3
.561

3133 | Manoj B. Pandey Influence Of Brand Endorsement By A Celebrity On Rural
Buying Behavior Towards Personal Care Products In Rural Nagpur
and are generally endorsed by celebrities. It is also observed that consumers engaged in
services or employed in various occupations are quality conscious.
It's observed that consumers believe that they are attracted to those brands which are
endorsed by the celebrity and they trust that the celebrity will promote those brand that is
reliable and acceptable for use.
Conclusion:
The study focused on factors like occupation and brands endorsed by celebrities which
influence the buying behavior of Nagpur rural consumers towards personal care products.
From the study, it is evident that the quality of personal care brands was given more
emphasis and brands endorsed by celebrities influenced all the income groups’ respondents’
purchase decisions. Rural consumers are very much attached to and influenced by the touch
and feel aspect of any promotional activity (Shivaraj B. 2006). In the study, it’s found that
family members decide while purchasing instead of respondents. Therefore, marketers need
to take initiative like the use of social media in the rural market to change such kind of
behavior.
Acknowledgment
None
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this
article.
Funding
No funding has been received for this article
Data Availability
The data used to support the findings of the study can be obtained from the corresponding
author upon request.
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