March 17th, 2010 → 1:20 pm @ Jordan McAuley // No Comments
Marcus Peterzell, Managing Director of Fathom Communications told DM News:
“Yes. We all listen when celebrities speak. Why? They are famous, rich and most often attractive, so they must know what they’re talking about. That’s how they got famous in the first place, right?
The truth is that paid celebrity endorsements are proven marketing vehicles. Even though we all know the spokesperson took a nice check for the ad, it somehow still resonates with many consumers.
With the growth of social media, everyone has a soapbox. All you need is a laptop. We can now get instant product reviews and opinions on just about anything. However, it’s not necessarily the case that we trust the opinion of nonpaid consumers more than we trust celebrities.
Younger consumers, especially teens, are still heavily influenced by names they know and love, and they are by far the most frequent users of social media.
Celebrities always catch our attention first. Therefore, they by default have more reach and are becoming very savvy in promoting brands organically, so we actually believe they wear that watch or drink that beer. Social media has made celebrities seem even more authentic and accessible, making them an even surer bet to marketers.
Consumers who read “personal” Tweets or Facebook posts, as opposed to a print ad they know someone paid for, perceive that celebs are the real deal and people they can connect with.
In the end, they still have the voice and influence, and we continue to listen.”
Tags: dm news, facebook, fathom communications, marcus peterzell, twitter
