TAF PUBLISHING

Advertising is a form of communication between producers and their target market. The rise of halal trends and celebrity endorsers who become the icons of a product is expected to increase the buying interest of customers. Celebrity endorsers may produce attractions that give a sensory stimuli for customers. It is similar to the halal labelling. Indonesia, as a country with a Moslem majority, requires halal certification as a top priority in this regard. The country’s council of Islamic religious leaders (Majelis Ulama Indonesia - MUI) issues a halal certification based on the critical levels of ingredients, and level of difficulty in tracking the halal level. It follows a Decree of the Director of MUI’s Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics no. SK07/Dir/LPPOM MUI/IV/11, which explains the categorization of a MUI’s halal certification registrar. By using the path analysis, the appeal of celebrity endorsers and halal certificate is found to influence customers’ buying interest. The fact that celebrity endorsers have a greater influence compared to halal certification shows that the main task is to create a good association between an endorser and a product being advertised; hence, the resulting positive attitude within the customer can be obtained. Halal certificate itself may strengthen customers’ confidence toward offered products since the Indonesian society is predominantly Muslim, thus it may have become a top priority.