How endorser attributes influence conservation communication

Abstract

Conservation communication often uses the celebrity endorsement strategy. However, robust evidence regarding its effectiveness is still limited. More importantly, practitioners do not have guidelines for selecting an ideal endorser because there is no clear consensus on what endorser attributes are most critical. We explored these issues by examining advocacy for the ivory trade ban in China through the use of two public service announcements (PSAs). The contents of the two PSAs were similar, except that one was endorsed by a sports celebrity (Yao Ming) and the other by a noncelebrity (a police officer). Based on a real‐world, randomized, controlled trial intervention experiment ( N  = 550), we found that although the celebrity was rated as more attractive, the PSAs did not differ significantly in perceived attractiveness. The police officer produced a statistically significant but small improvement in attitude toward the ban (Cliff's delta = −0.11), with no significant differences in behavioral intentions, indicating limited practical superiority. According to the structural equation model (SEM), endorser attractiveness was positively associated with PSA attractiveness, which in turn was associated with communication behavioral intention, whereas endorser credibility was more strongly associated with conservation behavioral intention. These findings suggested that the selection of endorsers should be contextualized. In particular, if the aim is to promote widespread communication, then celebrities may be the recommended endorsers, as they have the potential to attract people's attention. If the aim is to promote attitude or behavioral change, then endorsers with high credibility levels may be more appropriate. Future studies should conduct empirical research on multiple types of celebrities and explore how endorser attributes interact with different message framings and various conservation contexts to better inform strategic communication efforts.