Celebrity endorsements improve consumers' attitudes toward brands

Washington, Sept 26 : Celebrity endorsements play a pivotal role in improving consumer's outlook towards a product, say researchers.

The researchers suggest that individuals who love a rap artist's music are likely to develop fond feelings for the products placed in that artist's rap video.

In the study, senior author Christian Schemer decided to study how consumers process brand information presented to them in spot advertising versus how consumers process brand-related information when it is presented in the course of programming (such as music videos).

They focussed their study on the psychological aspects of consumers' response to brand placement in rap videos.

They found that placement of products in programming such as rap videos can be a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, positive feelings toward the programming can be transferred to the brand.

Moreover, product placement in programming has the benefit of a longer "shelf life" than more traditional advertising.

It may also be more globally distributed (at no advertiser expense) and be particularly effective in reaching a targeted demographic.

However, there are potential dangers associated with product placement in programming such as rap videos, not the least of which entails negative feelings aroused by the video being transferred to the brand.

ANI