Similarity of Endorsers

What it measures

The scale measures how similar a set of endorsers or spokespeople are perceived to be to one another — whether they blend together or are easily distinguished. Three items assess this interchangeability, developed to test how AI-generated influencers compare with human endorsers in advertising contexts.

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• All _____ are the same.
• Most _____ are very similar, making it difficult to distinguish them.
• Because of the great similarity between _____, it would be difficult to detect when a brand gets a new _____.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Source not stated by Thomas and Fowler (2021), who used the scale in a small pilot study comparing celebrity and AI-influencer endorsers. Reliability was good to excellent (α = .87–.94 across versions). Validity wasn't separately discussed.

Citation

Thomas, V.L., & Fowler, K. (2021). Close Encounters of the AI Kind: Use of AI Influencers as Brand Endorsers. Journal of Advertising, 50(1), 11–25.

Keywords