UK: Consumers tiring of 'cult of celebrity' - research

Consumers are showing signs of fatigue towards celebrity marketing, according to new research from independent market analyst, Datamonitor.

The cult of celebrity has reached a crossroads, the analyst said today (28 July), with over-exposed celebrities saturating the market and aging populations resulting in a shrinking growth audience.

Datamonitor said that marketers need to pursue new tactics to avoid the pitfalls associated with celebrity-backed campaigns or celebrity-branded consumer packaged goods.

The celebration of fame has witnessed a dramatic upsurge in recent years, with reality TV, celebrity gossip magazines and the Internet feeding consumers' celebrity hunger.

This has converged with entertainment and sport industries eager to feed that hunger, creating a fertile ground for consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers to convey their messages via the celebrity medium.

However, consumers are now reaching saturation point, according to Datamonitor, who said that many are now suffering from so-called "celebrity fatigue".

It seems products are now emerging as the next generation of celebrities with Apple's iPod and the iPhone transcending mere product status and becoming iconic, the company said, with globally-recognised identities and personalities of their own.

Richard Parker, consumer markets senior analyst at Datamonitor, said: "Consumers' relationships with these celebrity-like branded products are based heavily on participation and interaction, two behaviours that are desired, but rarely achieved by everyday people in their relationships with actual celebrity idols."

The company said that for celebrity branding to remain effective, marketers must make sure that celebrity campaigns are underpinned by a strong brand message or story in order to add value rather than be used to make up for a lack of substance in the actual product.