Celebrity Endorsement and Consumer Purchase Behavior in OTC Analgesics: The Mediating Role of Trustworthiness

Background: Celebrity endorsement has become a common marketing strategy in the OTC analgesics market, helping brands stand out in a competitive space. While it works well for consumer goods, applying it to healthcare, where purchase decisions are driven by perceived relief, safety, and effectiveness, creates a more complex dynamic.

Research Purpose and Gap: This study investigates how celebrity endorsement influences consumer purchase behavior for OTC analgesics. Despite celebrities being widely used in health advertising, little is understood about how consumers weigh a celebrity's credibility against the practical needs of pain relief. Specifically, it examines whether perceived trustworthiness serves as a bridge between celebrity influence and the urgent, real-world decision to manage pain.

Methodology: Using a quantitative approach (N=103), the study finds that product trustworthiness significantly drives purchase decisions, while celebrity endorsement has a limited direct impact. Structural Equation Modeling confirms that celebrity influence works indirectly through perceived product attributes. The study also examines endorser-product fit and demographic factors such as age, location, and occupation to understand their roles in shaping brand trust and buying behavior.

Conclusion: Moving beyond standard marketing theories, this study explores how "social proof" functions in healthcare, where the stakes are higher than in everyday retail. The findings show that while celebrity status builds initial awareness, its effectiveness in the OTC analgesic market ultimately depends on how trustworthy and credible consumers find the celebrity in a health-related context. From a marketing-finance standpoint, the results also suggest that trust-based communication is a more cost-efficient use of promotional spend than celebrity fees alone, with implications for endorsement contract valuation and OTC advertising oversight discussed later in the paper.