STUPID PEOPLE or PURE SPIN ?

[2nd row]

  do we buy the product, because it's good > it's the best one ? or because some well known star is advertising it ?... now, some of these ' stars ' get paid  thousands and thousands of pounds, enormous sums !!! why dont the advertisers find ' normal people, reduce the cost, reduce the price, will definately sell more products, and we will all be happy, instead of some idiot pop star, or football player ,trying to make us part with our hard earned cash !!  i've got a lot of 'farm manure ' i want to sell... what ' star ' would you choose to sell it for me ???

[stoo_pid]

Well, no-one forces us to buy anything. The way I see it capitalism is clever people making money out of everyday people who need to buy their things. Whereas marketing is clever people convincing stupid people to buy things they don't need. If David Beckham's picture sells more of something than would normally sell then they've done a good job. Personally I am amazed how well these campaigns work - try this test tonight: watch TV as usual but as you watch all the adverts (which cost thousands just for the airtime alone) make a note of just how many of those EXACT items you actually buy...

[andy hughes]

The answer is in the question. Would Brylcreem, for example, sign David Beckham to a multi-million pound contract if they didn't believe, and indeed have proof, that his endoresement added to their sales and profits. The widespread use of celebs in advertising, as you have pointed out, does increase sales, which is why they are employed in the first place. Advertising is all about getting people to buy something - using any means that turns a profit. If an endoresment costs millions, but generates tens of millions in profits, that's a good deal for all concerned. An 'ordinary' will often carry no weight at all, it does depend on the product - a degree of 'glamour by association' is required. Thierry Enri advertising a brand of car - goo deal, the same person adverting sugar - pointless. That's basically how, and why, it works.

[BigDogsWang]

How do you explain Jeremy Spake then?

[Greedyfly]

They hire pop stars etc.. because us as a public are often daft enough to think that, that star actually uses it.

[killsery]

If a star endorses it, it must be worth it. Blahhh. But there are ignorant people out there.

Also, if you want to sell cow manure I would get a couple of beautiful women and film them wrestling in it. You may not sell it for the right reasons, but at least you're selling it.