Celebrity branding and auctions

How gung-ho are Americans?

Celebrities continue to be an integral part of business strategies as they help bring in millions’ worth of sales for companies, sometimes with even just a tweet. This report delves into people’s opinions about the influence of celebrity branding and the craze around celebrity auctions.

From McDonald’s and Nike to Pepsi and PlayStation, brands spend big bucks on getting celebrities on board. While endorsements have been the rage for a long time, celebrity-brand collaborations are becoming increasingly common, thanks to some hugely successful tie-ups like Kanye West and Adidas, Justin Bieber and Calvin Klein, and, most recently, the McDonald’s and BTS meal deal. The latter, which was launched only last month, has already led to skyrocketing sales for the burger company, even outpacing the hit Travis Scott meal from last year. There is simply no denying the influence that celebrities can have on brand image and consumer choices. And their aura is not limited to just that. Celebrity auction is also becoming a booming business with fans, especially pop-culture-obsessed Millennials prepared to spend big money on anything from pre-worn clothes and signed photographs to costume props. What do consumers think of celebrity branding, and how much are they contributing to this ongoing trend? Piplsay polled 30,390 Americans to get some insights. Here is a summary of what we found:

Other Insights

• 63% of men often get influenced by celebrity endorsements while making purchases as compared to just 37% of women
• About 41% each of Millennials and Gen Xers equate brand endorsement to brand quality and integrity as compared to just 18% of Gen Zers
• 39% of Millennials have participated in celebrity auctions as compared to 36% of Gen Xers and 25% of Gen Zers

Survey Methodology: This Piplsay survey was conducted nationwide in the US from June 12-14, 2021. We received 30,390 online responses from individuals aged 18 years and older.