Celebrity Endorsements: Do We Care?

[The Ed.]

Famous faces are flooding our magazines, TV adverts and radio plugs to tell us what they think are the best products out there. As a consumer, you can't walk out of your front door without Jennifer Aniston telling you 'You're Worth It!'. There is no denying that celebrity endorsements are worth millions of pounds for both the brand and the celebrity but do they work?

Our instinct is to say, 'No'. We as consumers hate the idea that we are that malleable. Surely, we think to ourselves, we're clever enough to see through it? We're not swayed by some pretty face? We know it's not real...don't we?

Bob Greene (CNN) paints a fairly dismal picture of our ability to see endorsements for what they often are: "If someone accepts cash in exchange for offering a positive evaluation of something, then the evaluation must be tossed out. It’s worse than meaningless. Yet in the arena of celebrity endorsements...not only is the public’s disbelief suspended, but people don’t seem to particularly care that the recommendation is bought and paid for."

The reality is that even on this site, the news items posted about a celebrity attract a great deal more attention (and opinion) than most other items. Even in the professional world, celebrity endorsements are becoming invaluable. You can't read a website, or promotional literature without seeing a list of celebrities who just LOVE the product and whether we like it or not...it boosts sales.

So, we know they work but as professionals do we approve? Does a celebrity endorsement on a product change your view of that product for either the better or the worse? Would you be influenced to try something in a salon because a celebrity loves it? Does it affect your view of a brand and their credibility? Have you yourself ever used the pull of celebrity in your own salon...'So and so was seen wearing this colour just yesterday...' or in literature, 'So and so says it's the best blow-dry in town'? Are we all a little guilty of it?

We know it's tough to admit, but we'd genuinely like to hear your honest thoughts.

Until then...geek on.

The Ed.

 

[nixnewcastle]

For me personally the adverts where celebrities are paid to advertise something like hair dye, hair spray, mascara, razors etc don't work on me mainly because when you read the print on the advert it usually says something along the lines of styled with eyelash inserts (which in my opinion is totally wrong cause it's false advertising)

I am however a bit of a sucker for buying something that a celebrity say that they use and is really good. A lot of celebrity's say they swear by dermalogica without being paid to do so and this I think is far more valuable than an advert.

Again it's word of mouth versus advertising

 

[Bud]

Ooh I did my marketing dissertation on this exact subject! 11yrs ago now tho, so a lot more will have been written on the subject!

In my own personal opinion.. It depends massively on WHO the celeb is. Is it someone that advertises loads of other products? Is it someone I perceive to be genuine? Etc..

X

 

[Baggybear]

For me, celebs advertising doesn't work. Mainly because I don't care who they are (I am crap at knowing who the celebs are supposed to be I just have no interest in it all) or what they say.

I believe people who give their personal opinions but then those are usually from my friends and relatives (I don't read any magazines or newspapers).

Word of mouth is the way to get me buying, it has to do what it says it will.

 

[Pinkprincess73]

Good topic Ed, personally when a celeb advertises a hair colour, face cream etc on tv I think " yeah right, so you actually use a home colour ? Or a £10 jar of face cream? Not very likely is it?" i'd rather see a normal everyday person who actually looks as if they would use the product endorse it, for example dove who use believable models.

 

[Kim Lawless]

Due to the very nature of my work (Intimate waxing), I would never discuss a client whether they whether they were a celeb or not, even if they say that I can.

We all love celebs but for me, unless they are an A lister, it doesn't impress me at all. We all know that celebs are either paid or given free products or treatments to promote something/someone, so it's not really worth tuppence.

 

[Tomme]

Celebrity endorsement pays for itself, in a shoe shop I was at for a bit, we had celebrity collections, all they did was go through te range and point ones they liked then we as the shop would get a list of these styles and put a sticker on the box saying they chose them. And yes it did work.
Some ofbthenstylesbwerebawful and wouldn't sell if they were made of solid gold, but hey, a celebrity says they like them so people want.

If Cheryl cole wasn't so demanding she would have had a collection, but I can't see her wearing £25 boots myself xoxo

 

[tiggerlady]

I'm with PinkPrincess on this one..I really don't believe they ACTUALLY and regularly use the product! If I could afford top,high-end products,why would I choose to use something I could pick up at my local supermarket? Or am I falling for the other end of the marketing hype?
And tbh most of today's 'celebs' are not there because of their talent, but clever media work on their behalf.
Answer to question..no, I would be inclined to go the other way rather than buy the product, unless a friend had tried it and could recommend it personally!