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Celeb Product Hawkers Fail to Sway Consumers

Though the media feeds consumers a constant stream of minutiae about celebrities’ private lives, and celebs who Tweet seem to have legions of avid followers, a new study of LinkedIn users by AdWeekMedia finds that most US consumers say they are not at all swayed by celebrity endorsements of products.

When respondents in the survey were asked whether the presence of a celebrity in an ad makes them more likely, less likely or neither more or less likely to buy the product, nearly 8 in 10 (78%) said it doesn’t sway them one way or the other. In fact, only 8% said the presence of a celebrity spokesperson makes them more likely to buy a product. This compares with a  significant 12% who actually say it makes them less likely to buy a product.

Additional findings by demographic group:

• Older respondents are especially likely to reject celebrities as spokespeople. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of those ages 55+ say seeing a celeb in an ad makes them less likely to buy a product, vs. just 4% saying it makes them more likely to buy.
• Men (15%) are slightly more likely than women (11) to say a celeb deters them from buying a product.
• 20% of business owners vs. 11% of people with jobs in the “management” category say the presence celebrities in ads make them less likely to buy.

•  while 19% of survey participants in “creative” roles said a celeb in an ad makes them less likely to buy. This compares with 8% saying it makes them more likely.

A recent survey by Harris Interactive found that Americans do not consider the occupations of actor, entertainer and athlete to have a great deal of prestige.

About the survey: The survey was conducted online in July among a sample of 4,778 LinkedIn users.