Fictional character and celebrity product endorsements have become increasingly popular in mainstream media. At the 10th Annual Ivey Symposium on Consumer Behaviour, Allison Johnson, an assistant professor of Marketing at Ivey, explained how consumers are more likely to assign meaning and credibility to a fictional character than an actual celebrity.
Johnson shared her research on the use of fictional characters in endorsements with consumer behaviour researchers from 13 different schools from Canada and the U.S.
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She said fictional characters are equal to or more likable than celebrities, resulting in more effective endorsements. Consumers also understand the deliberative narrative arc in a fictional character, like a villain or a rogue, in contrast to a celebrity who has been involved in a scandal.
“The meaning consumers assign to characters benefit brands. Fictional characters allow a greater latitude of opportunity with each endorsement, and characters buffer against scandals with significantly less negative effects,” said Johnson. “In future research, we’d like to examine character endorsement of fringe products like gambling, which celebrities could not pull off as successfully.”
