Every week the analyst firm Datamonitor sends me a very informative email newsletter (you can get your own by registering free at www.datamonitor.com). Today’s issue reported on of a survey of UK consumers which revealed that celebrity endorsements are regarded as one of the least trustworthy ways to deliver product information. Datamonitor’s analyst concluded that this is bad news for celebrity-obsessed advertisers that have come to rely on the technique to drive sales. Nonsense. Advertisers with any sense apply the blend of techniques that are most effective and there’s no reason to believe that celebrity endorsement won’t continue to give them value.
The survey, entitled What Assures Consumers?, was sponsored by AccountAbility (a non-profit think tank) and the National Consumer Council. Its findings listed consumer information channels and messengers in order of trustworthiness.
1. Packaging
2. Consumer watchdogs
3. Family and friends
4. Trusted third-party ‘standard’ logos
5. Store salespeople
6. Consumer TV programmes
7. Company websites
8. Advertising
9. In-store promotions
10. Internet sources not controlled by the company
11. Press articles
12. Government departments
13. NGOs and campaign groups
14. Celebrities
15. Leaflets delivered to home
That celebrities only ranked above “junk mail” is seen as a damning indictment of their worth, but it ignores reality to look at this technique in isolation. Packaging, websites and advertising fare well, but this is where the celebrity endorsement is manifested. The fact is that effective marketing uses a variety of methods to deliver and support its messages, of which endorsements are but one part.
Datamonitor’s analyst cites “an increasingly bizarre array of product/celebrity matches” as an indication that some advertisers are no longer in touch with the marketing savvy consumers whom they are targeting. This is a good point, but it’s no revelation. Celebrity endorsements that make no sense will always be a waste of time. And as consumers become ever more sophisticated, so needs to become the application of the celebrity endorsement technique. It’s just smart to keep up with the Zeitgeist (which incidentally owes much to the actions of celebrities and advertisers).
Even in a challenging marketing environment of cynically minded shoppers, an instantly recognisable face will still be useful. More so when they have a direct relevance to what’s being promoted. And celebrities entertain us, so as marketing has to become more engaging to win our attention, they become the reverse extension of the increasing use product placement in television shows and movies.
Any advertiser that has celebrity endorsement as their entire promotional strategy will be undoubtedly caught out by a consumer public weary of celebrity culture. The Dr West's "Bob Hope's Toothbrush" ad of yesteryear now looks laughably naive, but I can’t think of any company today that takes such a primitive approach. Can you?
