The Impact of Celebrity Endorsements on Brand Equity in the Bulawayo Supermarket Sector: Evidence from OK Zimbabwe

This study examines the impact of celebrity endorsements on brand equity in Bulawayo supermarkets, framed within a positivist philosophy and a deductive approach. A quantitative survey design was employed, using a structured questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of 222 consumers. Reliability was confirmed with Cronbach’s alpha values above 0.70, ensuring internal consistency. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, correlation tests, and multiple regression modelling. Empirical results from the study revealed significant positive associations, with credibility as the strongest predictor, followed by familiarity, while message effectiveness played a modest role. The regression model explained 62 percent of the variance in brand equity, highlighting the centrality of endorsement cues in competitive retail contexts. It is concluded that Zimbabwean consumers prefer credibility and cultural familiarity over message strength, consistent with heuristic processing. The study recommends marketers to prioritise credible, locally resonant celebrities to strengthen consumer trust and loyalty.