Roll Out Role-Based Celebrity Endorsements

When a marketer seeks a celebrity endorsement, would it be better to select actor Hugh Jackman or select Wolverine, the character played by Hugh Jackman? Orlando Bloom or Legolas, the role Mr. Bloom portrayed in “Lord of the Rings” films?
     Studies at University of Newcastle and Monash University found that, in these examples, endorsements by the characters produced better attitudes toward the advertisement, attitudes toward the brand, and intentions to purchase the item. The reason is that the associations held by consumers are limited and fully known. A well-documented problem in setting up a celebrity endorsement is that the real-life person can subsequently misbehave, dragging down the value of the endorsed brand.
     In one of the studies, some participants were told, “A little known fact about Orlando, because his agent has been able to prevent the media from reporting this news, is that he has a history of drug abuse and at times during his career has been a regular cocaine user.” This disrupted the positive effects of a brand endorsement by the actor, but had little result on the endorsement by the Legolas character.
     An extramarital affair, a DUI, a lapse in “professional integrity.” Reports of each of these were presented to a sample of Millennials by researchers at University of Leeds, University of Kent, and University of Sheffield. As in similar studies, there was indeed a drop in the celebrity’s endorsement credibility. It didn’t make much difference if the news of the transgression came in the form of the celebrity confessing, a journalist’s report on the matter, or news of unconfirmed rumors.
     Research findings from University of Technology-Sydney, HEC Montréal, and Avon Canada Inc. document how the damage can spread. A scandal involving a celebrity endorser for a store competing with yours in a similar market can have carryover effects to your store. This argues for communities of merchants encouraging each other to exercise caution when selecting celebrity endorsers. Choosing a well-known fictional character who behaves favorably is a good alternative, and when the character has been played by a famous actor, the impact will be greater.
     For the same reasons, it’s better to have an endorsement from a sports team than from a particular team star. When the endorsement is from a group, you’ve more flexibility to craft the evidence: If one member of the group behaves improperly, you can feature another member of the group.

For your success: Retailer’s Edge: Boost Profits Using Shopper Psychology

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