From Taylor Swift boosting NFL ratings to influencers selling out products with a single post, celebrities have become one of the most powerful forces in modern marketing.
Now, new research led by QUT suggests that for everyday purchases, consumers may respond more strongly to the credibility of the celebrity than to the credibility of the brand itself.
Published in the Journal of Marketing Communications, the study led by Dr Thusyanthy Lavan from the QUT School of Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations, together with an international team of researchers, found that credible celebrity endorsers have a strong direct influence on how consumers perceive brands, particularly for low-involvement product categories such as carbonated soft drinks and other everyday consumer products.
The research surveyed 338 young consumers and examined how celebrity credibility and brand credibility combine to build the value and appeal consumers attach to a brand.
