What celebrity attributes make for effective celebrity product endorsements?
Celebrity testimonials are advertising messages delivered by famous people who say or imply that they use the product/service. Advertising testimonials are discussed in chapter 12 of your textbook. The book says the the use of a celebrity endorser is a common but expensive strategy and that celebrities are often used to make the ad more appealing and interesting. However, research has shown that most testimonials are a waste of advertising dollars (e.g. Frank Sinatra for Holiday Inn hotel chain) while some celebrity testimonials really do work (e.g. Michael Jordan for Nike, Kirstie Alley for Jenny Craig weight-loss system).
1) Why do you think some celebrities are effective at pitching products while others are not?
2) Experts cite three factors underlying source credibility: expertise, trustworthiness and likability. However, new research now shows that only one of the three factors is actually effective in increasing sales and is far more important than the other two in creating a successful celebrity testimonial. Which one do you think it is and why?