Celebrity endorsement influences purchase but consumer enthusiasm is waning

Celebrity endorsement is still an effective marketing tool although consumer appetite for it is waning, according to new MEC MediaLab research.

MEC MediaLab, Mediaedge:cia’s (MEC) consumer insight and ROI division, questioned more than 24,000 consumers across 25 countries for its latest global celebrity Sensor report.

Almost a third of consumers (29%) across the globe said that celebrity endorsements influence their purchasing decisions and one in four (25%) have bought a product because a celebrity was promoting it. However, the majority – 65% – of consumers now believe that too many products are promoted by celebrities in their country.

Over half of global consumers (55%) believe that celebrity endorsement makes a brand stand out, while 52% agree that it enhances a brand’s personality.

However, the role of celebrities in advertising is complex, the research found.  What celebrity endorsement doesn’t appear to do is build brand trust or belief in product efficacy, nor does it encourage word of mouth:

• Only 29% of consumers feel a celebrity helps them to trust a product
• Just 27% believe a celebrity helps them believe that a product actually works
• Only 26% say that a celebrity makes them want to recommend a brand

Damian Thompson, head of consumer insight, MEC MediaLab Global, said: “While the impact of celebrity endorsement may be waning, it remains an important and effective marketing tool for many brands, when done well; and it is still useful for reaching a wide audience, not just the minority who are actively interested in celebrities.

“However, interest in celebrity culture must surely have peaked in some countries, requiring brands to be more strategic in their use of celebrity endorsements.

“Brands must analyse and understand the fit between celebrity, brand and consumer, as well as a celebrity’s relationship with the media to implement a well thought-through activation plan, and ultimately measurable return.”