Why Consumers, Not Celebrities Should Be Endorsing Products

Have you bought a product just because a celebrity endorsed the product? It seems that the majority of us are not swayed by celebrity endorsements.

So, why do companies use them?

According to an article at Marketing Charts,

a recent study of LinkedIn users done by AdWeekMedia shows that 78% said having a celebrity endorsement does not make them more likely or less likely to buy a product.

I know for myself, I am more likely to trust a fellow blogger or friend who I can relate to, than a celebrity who has a lifestyle far different than anything I can imagine. When Valerie Bertinelli endorses Jenny Craig, I assume (and maybe I’m wrong) that she also has access to a personal trainer, nutritionists and possibly Jenny herself. Jenny Craig wants to be sure she succeeds because if she doesn’t, we are not going to all run to Jenny Craig to sign up (as Jenny Craig hopes we will do if she succeeds).

Updated 8/19/13: Here is an interesting turn of events for Jenny Craig. They are saying goodbye to celebrity endorsements and using real people.

If a fellow blogger (hypothetically) is given access to the Jenny Craig program, free of charge, so that she will review the program, I am much more likely to think about joining Jenny Craig if the review is favorable. YES, my fellow bloggers and friends and other moms, do have more of an influence over my purchases than any celebrity does. I can relate to the blogger/mom who is raising her kids, working, doing laundry, helping with homework, fixing meals and snacks, shuffling kids to activities, running errands, balancing time with hubby and kids and somehow finding time to follow Jenny Craig’s program. That sounds like my life.

I used Jenny Craig as an example because I had one of those light bulb moments when I saw a Jenny Craig commercial on TV and had just read a blog post about mommy bloggers endorsing products. You can fill in any company and any celebrity and it doesn’t change the story. My first thought was, “duh, of course she lost all the weight, she probably had a personal trainer to be SURE she lost the weight.” My assumption when I see a celebrity endorsing a product is that they will do whatever they can to be sure that celebrity looks good using their product. In turn, I do not take the endorsement very seriously. My assumption may be wrong, but perception is reality.

According to Wikipedia,

“Advertisers have attempted to quantify and qualify the use of celebrities in their marketing campaigns by evaluating their awareness, appeal, and relevance to a brand’s image and the celebrity’s influence on consumer buying behavior.

For example, Omnicom agency Davie Brown Entertainment has created an independent index for brand marketers and advertising agencies that determines a celebrity’s ability to influence brand affinity and consumer purchase intent. According to the Wall Street Journal, the so-called “Davie-Brown Index” will “enable advertisers and ad-agency personnel to determine if a particular public figure will motivate consumers who see them in an ad to purchase the product advertised.””

It seems to me that we need a new Davie-Brown Index of bloggers and consumers. We could call it the Davie-Blogger Index.

I would like to know why companies continue to pay celebrities millions of dollars to endorse their products if it isn’t swaying us to buy the stuff? Do you buy products because of celebrity endorsements? Why or Why not?