Celebrity endoresement cuts no ice with Britain’s older consumers, who clearly prefer substance over style.
A well known face fronting an advertising campaign is no longer a guarantee of success, with 46% of older consumers actively turned off, 39% ambivalent and just 11% more positive as a result.
The consumer poll, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Senioragency, the specialist 50+ marketing firm, also found that 51% believed the majority of today’s advertising was patronising and 64% believed most ads were trying too hard to entertain and not giving enough information.
YouGov polled 1,322 consumers aged between 50 and 61, and Dick Lumsden, Senioragency’
“They are, in the main, sophisticated consumers who know what they want and base their buying decisions on hard fact rather than celebrity endorsement. Humour and entertainment, it would seem, come secondary to product information.”
This would appear to be borne out by some of the other results. When given a list of male and female celebrities to identify as a role model, 43% of men and 54% of women chose no-one.
Of those who did make a choice, sixties icon, now M&S fashion model, Twiggy was top role model for women and Sir Richard Branson top among the men.
But while they may not want to see celebrities in advertising, the consumers polled do have their firm favourites when seen doing their day jobs. With the Christmas TV schedules almost upon us, the undimmed appeal of veteran stars David Jason and Dame Judi Dench saw them named as favourite male and female actors.
