Star Power - Institute of Fundraising

Star Power:
The Impact of Celebrity Endorsement
on Charitable Events and Campaigns
Sean Kelly, MSc, MInstF(Cert)
Director of Fundraising
Sparks Charity
@SeanKellyPGA
Contents
• Introduction
• Study Background
• The celebrated Individual
• Celebrity Endorsement
• Level and Nature of Support
• Charity Endorsement Motives
• So what?
• Conclusion
1. Study Background
2. The Celebrated Individual
• Usually emerged from the sports or entertainment industries
• Most cases highly visible through the media
• Often generating more interest in their public lives rather
than their professional achievements
• “Modern celebrity may claim no special achievements other
than the attraction of public attention” Turner (2004)
• Entertainers are dominant in the world of celebrity as they
are more “skilled in the differentiation of their personalities”
Boorstin (1961)
• Sports stars are more worthy of their celebrity status as sport is
“one of the few areas of public life that is truly meritocratic”
and they are able to “prove that they are the best” Giles
(2000)
Celebrity Typologies
“Heroes” are individuals who do something spectacular to generate admiration
and attention. Olympic gold medal winners and world champions would fall
under this category.
“Stars” are individuals who have gained prominence through their public persona
rather than their professional profile. Politicians aspire to becoming a “Star” as a
means of advancing their political careers.
“Quasars” are individuals who become the focus of attention through no fault of
their own. Turner et al. (2000) refer to this category as the accidental celebrity.
Reality TV show contestants and individuals such as Monica Lewinsky and Paul
Burrell are examples of this category.
Monaco (1978)
Limitations in the three part model in its application to the contemporary celebrity.
“Celetoid” celebrities who enjoy hyper-visibility but a short shelf life
“Celeactor” fictional characters such as Ali G or Dame Edna who behave as if they were “real” celebrities
Rojek (2001)
3. Celebrity Endorsement
Meanings & Associations transfer
“Celebrity endorsement is based on the accumulated meanings a celebrity
has amassed outside of the endorsement, which are subsequently leveraged in
the endorsement process”
McCracken (1989)
One Way Meanings transfer
Endorsement Action
Celebrity Endorser
Meanings & Associations
Financial Compensation
Brand /Company
Case Study 1: Gary Lineker & Walkers
• Associated since 1995
• Longest running advertising campaign
featuring a celebrity
• Walkers are now leaders in the snack market
• Sales increased by 105% between 1995 & 2002
• Flavour named “Salt and Lineker”
• Strategic alignment with a “Hero” type sports
celebrity helps to offset some of the negative
associations of junk food
Meanings and Associations Transfer
“Engaging in product endorsement is one of the most important decisions celebrities
can take in managing their image, as meanings and associations can also be
transferred from the brand to the celebrity”
Halonen-Knight & Hurmerinta (2010)
Two Way Meanings transfer
Endorsement Action
Celebrity Endorser
Meanings & Associations
Financial Compensation
Brand / Company
Meanings and Associations Transfer
“The public are more likely to support organisations whose celebrity endorsers
demonstrated a sincere commitment and were knowledgeable about the causes
they supported therefore strengthening their credibility”
Samman et al. (2009)
Two Way Meanings transfer: Charity Model
Endorsement Action
Celebrity Endorser
Meanings & Associations
Brand / Company
Case Study 2: Sir Paul McCartney & PETA
• Very High profile celebrity, known worldwide
• Well known for his views on animal cruelty
• Five charities listed on his website including the
vegetarian society & PETA
• Boycotts all and any charities who conduct animal
experimentation
• Acts as a spokes person, narrates campaign films,
fronts advertising campaigns
• Hosted the “Party of the century” gala in1999 for
PETA, honouring his late wife Linda and those who
have committed themselves to carrying on her work
for animals
Case Study 3: Naomi Campbell & PETA
“Every fur coat means animals died
a painful death by electrocution,
drowning, or being gassed”.
“DON’T WEAR FUR”
PETA (1994)
Case Study 3: Naomi Campbell & PETA
• Wore Fur at the Milan Fashion Show in 1997
• Could not see what all the fuss was about
• Claimed “its only fashion, I don’t know what all the
fuss is about”
• PETA lost credibility and support as a direct result of
these actions
• Miss Campbell then fronted a campaign for the
luxury furrier Dennis Basso in 2009
• Urged by PETA India not to stage an Elephant polo
match in 2012
• Battle between PETA and Miss Campbell still rages
today
Case Study 4: Jimmy Savile
• Estimated to have raised £40 Million for charity
• Left estimated £3.4 Million legacy to charitable trust
• Charity work earned him a Knighthood in 1990
• Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust and the Jimmy Savile
Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust forced to close in
2012. Funds distributed to other charities
• Many places and organisations named after or
connected to Savile were renamed or had his name
removed
• Many other celebrities currently under investigation
Meanings and Associations Transfer
“Source Credibility, trustworthiness and expertise are crucial when
considering celebrity endorsement strategies”
Silvera & Austad (2004)
“Emotional Involvement should be a key consideration when
securing celebrity endorsement of fundraising and awareness
campaigns”
Sean Kelly (2011)
“A celebrity involvement policy and written agreements with
celebrity endorsers clarifying the expectations of both parties
should be in place”
Institute of Fundraising (2009)
“The public are more likely to support organisations whose
celebrity endorsers demonstrated a sincere commitment and
were knowledgeable about the causes they supported”
Samman et al. (2009)
4. Level & Nature of Support
In order to fully understand what motivates celebrities to support charitable activities,
we must first have a greater understanding of how celebrities engage with their
chosen organisations.
Key Questions:
• What is the level of their charitable support?
• How loyal are they to their chosen charities?
• What types of charities do they support?
• How do they prefer to engage with their
chosen charities?
What is the Level of Charitable Support?
Figure 10: Number of charities supported by Celebrities
2%
5%
• Average number of charities
supported by each celebrity was 6.13
• 33% supported between 6 & 10
charities
• 5% supported 20 or more charities
1 to 5
33%
60%
6 to 10
11 to 19
20 Plus
• Multiple endorsements can have a
negative influence on consumer
perceptions of the endorser and the
product or organisation they are
endorsing Tripp et al. (1994)
How Loyal are Celebrity Supporters?
“Celebrities cannot afford to let the causes they represent go stale and hence
frequently jump ship and migrate from burning issue to burning issue, searching for the
cause du jour.”
Harris (2003)
• Celebrities supported their
individual chosen charities for
somewhere between 11.22 and 13.49
years
• Data infers that they are loyal to
their chosen charities
Types of charities supported by celebrities?
Charity Type
Charity 1
Charity 2
Charity 3
Aged
Animals
Armed Services
Blind & Partially Sighted
Children & Youth
Community Care
Community Relations
Cultural
Deaf
Disabled
Education, Science & Technology
Environment
Ethnic Organisations
Ex Services
Familiy Welfare
Health
Heritage
Hospices
Hospitals
Housing
International Organisations
Learning Disabilities
Maritime
Medical Research
Medical Welfare
Mental Health
Overseas Aid
Religious Organisations
Social Welfare
Trades & Professions
Training & Employment
Voluntary Services
Other
0.6%
3.1%
0.6%
1.2%
38.4%
2.4%
0.0%
0.6%
0.0%
4.9%
1.2%
0.0%
0.0%
0.6%
0.6%
9.8%
0.0%
3.7%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
0.6%
19.5%
0.6%
0.0%
0.6%
1.2%
1.8%
0.0%
0.6%
2.4%
2.4%
1
5
1
2
63
4
0
1
0
8
2
0
0
1
1
16
0
6
1
1
1
1
1
32
1
0
1
2
3
0
1
4
4
0.6%
1.3%
1.3%
0.6%
30.6%
1.9%
1.9%
0.0%
0.6%
5.7%
0.6%
0.6%
0.0%
1.9%
1.3%
12.7%
0.6%
6.4%
2.5%
1.3%
2.5%
1.3%
0.0%
10.2%
0.6%
0.6%
1.9%
1.3%
1.3%
0.6%
0.6%
1.9%
4.5%
1
2
2
1
48
3
3
0
1
9
1
1
0
3
2
20
1
10
4
2
4
2
0
16
1
1
3
2
2
1
1
3
7
1.4%
2.8%
2.1%
0.7%
28.0%
1.4%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
5.6%
1.4%
1.4%
0.0%
1.4%
2.1%
12.6%
0.0%
6.3%
2.8%
0.7%
2.1%
0.7%
0.7%
9.1%
1.4%
2.1%
2.1%
2.1%
1.4%
0.0%
0.0%
1.4%
6.3%
2
4
3
1
40
2
0
0
0
8
2
2
0
2
3
18
0
9
4
1
3
1
1
13
2
3
3
3
2
0
0
2
9
Total Respondents
100.0%
164
100.0%
157
100.0%
143
• Most support charities involving children and youth
• Medical research the second most popular cause
• Health the third most popular cause
• Little or no support for more controversial issues
such as mental health charities
• Findings in line with previous studies carried out by
Thrall et al. (2008)
“Celebrities pick and choose their charities based on
popularity because they want to be included in the
goodwill that certain issues invoke” Anderson (2007)
Preferred types of engagement
• Taking part in fundraising or awareness
raising events most popular form of
engagement
• Making financial donations to one or
more organisations surprisingly popular.
92% of the respondents in the study
indicated that they made regular
charitable donations (32% of these,
donated on a monthly basis).
• Allowing name or image to be
associated with appeals & campaigns
and donating auction items also very
popular answers
• Least popular mode of engagement is
organising events/activities to raise funds
Engagement Types Summary
“Findings suggest that celebrity
volunteers prefer to support their chosen
organisations in a simplistic and
expedient way and are more likely to
support organisations who stage event
activities”
Sean Kelly (2011)
Examples of Engagement Methods
5. Charity Endorsement Motives
As with all individuals who donate their time to help others, celebrity volunteers are
likely to have many different motives for lending their support which can range from
altruistic intentions at one end of the continuum to egoistic tendencies at the other.
Key Questions:
• What is the existing theory around charity celebrity
endorsement?
• How do celebrities benefit from supporting their chosen
charities?
• How do the charities benefit from celebrity support?
• What reasons do celebrities give for supporting their chosen
charities?
• What are the best and worst aspects of working with charities?
Existing Celebrity/Charity Theory
• Motivating factors for celebrities include guilt, faith,
personal suffering, ratings and PR. Poniewozik (2005)
• Contemporary celebrity volunteering is “about feeling
good, not doing good, and illustrates not how altruistic we
have become, but how selfish” West (2004)
• Endorsing charitable activities offers celebrities the
opportunity to prove to audiences that they are squeaky
clean and not child beaters or coke snorting reprobates
Harris (2003)
• Volunteers act not from a single motive or a category of
motives but from a combination of motives that can be
described overall as a rewarding Cnaan and GoldbergGlen (1991)
Charity Endorsement Motives
Impurely altruistic people derive utility from consuming a combination of public good
(charity) and private good (clubiness) Andreoni (1990), both of which are found in the
celebrity volunteer context
“There is little pure altruism in participation, since people gain some pleasure for themselves
even when acting altruistically” D. H. Smith (1994)
“I think most celebs accept the invitations as a perk of their standing and are comforted by
the notion that their leisure activity has a sideline that is of some actual value but take
away the leisure activity and you take away their contribution” Anonymous (2011)
How do Celebrities Benefit from their Support?
• Taking part in events & having fun
and assisting people I am
concerned about were the top 2
answers followed closely by Charity
work makes me feel good and
offers be the ability to meet new
and interesting people
• The least popular benefits stated
were my support relieves me of
some of the guilt for being more
fortunate than others and I enjoy
the admiration and recognition I
receive as a result of my support
How do Charities benefit from Celebrity Support?
• The top three answers were my
support helps raise additional
funds, my support helps
generate additional media
interest and my support adds
credibility to the organisation or
endorsed activity
• The least popular answers were
charities are able to secure
additional donations from my
friends and fans and charities
are able to gain access to my
valuable contacts
Reasons given for supporting charities
• Most popular answers were I
believe all people deserve an
equal opportunity in life, I am
fortunate to be in a position to
help others and I feel secure
working with these organisations
as they are well run have good
ethics
• The least popular answer was
My family or I have directly
benefited from the work carried
out by these organisations
Best & Worst Aspects of Supporting Charities
Best aspects of working with charities
Other
Working with great
people
4.64%
3.97%
Taking part in events
Other
6.62%
Seeing the benefits
7.75%
Scepticism
3.31%
Social interaction
9.15%
Nothing
5.96%
25.17%
8.61%
Time restraints
Contributing to the
cause
8.61%
Being taken for granted
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
23.24%
Not being able to do more
Feeling good/having fun
5.00%
5.63%
Politics/poor administration
12.58%
Helping others
0.00%
8.45%
The Suffering of others
6.62%
Making a difference
7.75%
Travel costs and other
expenses
13.91%
Fundraising
Raising awareness
Worst aspects of working with charities
30.00%
13.38%
21.13%
3.52%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
From the Horses Mouth
“People like my-self invariably become
involved with a charity that has affected a
member of their family, something you can
relate to personally”
“I don’t know any sports people who don’t do
it [support charities]”
“The way the events are organised, you know
it’s for charity but it’s so easy.......it doesn’t
seem to be such a huge commitment”
Charity Endorsement Motives Summary
• Celebrity volunteers are motivated by both altruistic and egoistic factors concurring with previous
volunteer motivation studies carried out by Cnaan & Goldberg-Glen (1991).
• Altruistic factors such as helping others and assisting particular groups were key motivating factors
for many but these reason are often given when volunteers are asked why they lend their support.
• Very few celebrities demonstrate a truly sincere commitment to their chosen charities.
• Social opportunities and the ability to have fun by attending or participating in events are key
motivating factors.
• Media attention is not a key consideration for most but alignment with credible and more
emotive organisations that demonstrated strong ethics is a key consideration for many.
“Celebrity volunteers are as sceptical as some donors when deciding which charities to support
and are more likely to support organisations which are well respected, have existing celebrity
support, raise significant funds and fund popular causes” Sean Kelly (2011)
6. So What?
The following factors should be considered when creating charity/celebrity endorsement strategies
• Research is crucial
• Ensure proper Fit
• Written agreements
• Local or global
• Modes of engagement
• Success is the Key
• Be professional & courteous
• If you don’t ask, you don’t get
7. Conclusion
I hope this presentation has offered a
greater understanding of why
celebrities choose to give up their time
to help good causes and will assist
charity resource practitioners with the
creation of effective celebrity
recruitment and retention strategies.
@SeanKellyPGA
[email protected]