Celebs in Ads Found to Have Neutral Effect by Survey {Fragrance News}
Did you know that celebs might be transparent, invisible to consumers? A survey conducted with Linkedln members shows that 78% of respondents were left unmoved by the presence of a celeb on a billboard endorsing a product. At least when it came to buying, as opposed to noticing, the perfume, beauty cream or underwear that was advertised. The article points however to possible denials and inhibitions in acknowledging the influence as the concept is still marred by a certain cheesiness. While it is easy to see that it would not make one buy more readily a product that was lacking, it is hard to deny that celebrity advertising has the overall beneficial effect of attracting publicity for the brand as a whole and helping them surmount competition. Otherwise they don't know what they are doing. It is also suggested that a celeb product is a tribal thing: if you haven't purchased a product based on a famous personality, it is because you haven't encountered the one with which you identify and that will sway you. But this is just one survey whose results do not explain in the end why the celeb trend in beauty remains prolific despite the cries of the Cassandras...
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"Of course, all these responses leave one unanswerable question: Were the survey's participants telling the truth when most of them said a celeb in an ad makes no difference to them and fewer than one in 10 said it makes them more likely to buy? In comments they posted along with their votes, a number of respondents were skeptical. As one commenter put it, "most of us would rather die than admit to being 'swayed by glamour' in a purchase decision." Another offered a similar thought: "Perhaps most of us like to think that celebrities don't have any effect on our buying decisions, but in reality, celebs may indeed have some power over our wallets."
What would be the celebrity that would sway YOU?
