Effectiveness of Influencer Celebrities Vs Traditional Celebrities in Brand Promotion

Proliferation of digital platforms has changed the way companies reach and influence Indian consumers. It has created a double promotion scenario whereby the content creators on social media now compete with the film or sports stars for the same brands. Through this work, the researcher studies the extent to which these two groups of endorsers differ in their brand image-making ability among consumers in Kerala. Kerala is notable for its high literacy levels, strong regional identity of Malayalam, and above-average digital connectivity. The research is built on three key theoretical models: Ohanian’s (1990) Source Credibility Model; Horton and Wohl’s (1956) Parasocial interaction theory; and McKinsey’s (2009) Consumer Decision Journey model. A mixed-method research design was followed using a questionnaire administered to 350 respondents and in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with 20 practicing marketers operating in the Kerala marketplace across Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The findings indicate that the traditional celebrity enjoys a significant advantage in brand awareness and aspirational value communication. In contrast, influencers outperform the traditional celebrity in brand trust, purchase conversion, and cultural connection with local consumers. Differences are much stronger for endorsement (Hindi or English) in Malayalam as compared to Hindi or English, suggesting native language to be a significant moderating variable. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical and commercial impact for brands operating in culturally and linguistically distinct regional markets.