Celebrity endorsements: do they work?

Do celebrities add dazzle to marketing, or is the whole thing a bit of a turn-off? Stars are now recruited by marketers to feature in endorsements, peer recommendations and online marketing channels as well as traditional ads. But what impact does this really have on consumer behaviour?

A new study by Chief Marketer surveyed 1,500 online consumers to find out how they respond to celebs and endorsements in marketing. So, what are the top lessons for marketers?

Men are more susceptible than women...

56% of men said they are swayed by celebrity endorsements, as opposed to just 44% of women; 54.6% of men said they were more likely to buy a product because they admired a celebrity endorser, compared to 45.4% of women.

...But women can be swayed if they need the product

Two thirds (67.2%) of women said they were more likely to buy a product when they admired the celebrity endorsing it, but only if it was something they needed. Just 32.8% of men reported the same.

Celebrity endorsement does not work for everyone

Around half (50.9%) of survey respondents who bought a product after reading an online blog review or social media post about it said they would not be persuaded by either celebrity endorsements or peers when it comes to buying an expensive product.

Women are influenced by peers and promo codes

Of those who would be more likely to buy a product endorsed by a peer, 63% were female and 37% male. A large minority (45.5%) of women would buy a product if they had a promo code, compared to 37.1% of men.

Men and women are influenced by different marketing channels

Facebook had the most influence on consumers who bought a product after reading an online review or social media post, with one in four (23.3%) citing the platform. Facebook was most important for women while men valued Facebook and YouTube equally.

Men and women use different platforms for product research

41% of men said they had used YouTube for product research, compared to 24% of women. 20.1% of women use Pinterest for product research, compared to 8.2% of men, while Instagram was not used much by either sex, with 13.9% of women saying they use it and 8.4% of men.

If you're the kind of marketer who always wants to know more about how audiences respond to different messages and channels, we can help you take the next step in your career. Why not talk to one of the Stopgap team about your next move today?