Contrary to popular belief, the use of celebrity film stars and sportsmen in advertisements does not result in higher mind share about the product among consumers, says a new study.
"Among the top 10 most recalled ads, the four not using a celebrity were found to be effective on the intended target group whereas of the six using celebrities, only four were found to be effective," says the study conducted by Cyber Media Research Group.
"There is a huge gap between the way advertisers perceive celebrities and the way consumers see them and individuals have their own definition and interpretation of a celebrity," the study says.
"The same holds true for political advertising or campaigning where celebrities are being roped in large numbers these days. A film star can have 'euphoric' effect on psyche of voters, but then it would largely depend on the celebrity being used and the region where he is used," says Dr Shubra Sanyal, psychologist, Institute of Criminology and Forensic
Sciences.
"Urban voter has become intellectual and is conscious of his rights. He may like to attend a rally being addressed by a popular film star, but would use his judgement when it comes to casting vote," says Dr Sanyal.
But it is different in the case of rural voters. They are more likely to get carried away by 'Basanti', 'Tulsi', or 'Veeru'," she says.
Agrees Akhila Sivadas, executive director, Centre for Advocacy and Research: "If there is a real incumbency factor, the celebrity might be able to sway the voters. Otherwise, for a first time celebrity who jumps into polls, most voters are likely to adopt a wait and watch policy."
"In Tamil Nadu, film stars entering politics is an old phenomenon. Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna are also examples of smooth transition from filmdom to politics, but then they are exception," says Sivadas.
A film star has the advantage of having a following already, but then he has to prove himself before people could vote for him, says Sivadas.
Thus roping in a famous film star or cricketer is no assurance of a top-of-mind brand recall. Instead there is a possibility that consumers may associate them with a competing brand, the study notes.
The study also found that "none of the celebrities had a universal or a segment specific appeal and that their impact varied between regions, age groups and gender."
It further says that belonging to a city or region may not make a celebrity popular there -- for example, Saurav Ganguly was not the highest recalled celebrity in Kolkata.
