Celebrity endorsements Despite the fact that companies believe celebrities had a lot of pull with regard to the buying trends of consumers, researchers have discovered that this does not seem to be the case. British and Swiss researchers carried out a study showing that advertisements made by celebrities like David Beckham and Scarlett Johansson are not as effective as those by ordinary people. In a sample of 298 students, researchers presented a magazine advertisement for a digital camera that was endorsed (...) by a fictional student claiming the camera was "hot" and his "preferred choice". The same advertisement was shown to other students, but with a difference: The camera was endorsed by a famous person in Germany. While the students said that both advertisements were beneficial, the one made by the student topped the celebrity one if students aimed to impress others with their purchases  . More than half of the students, who admitted purchasing products that would impress others, said they were influenced by the student's advertisement. Only 20% said the celebrity one would affect their buying decision. Professor Brett Martin of the University of Bath's School of Management, explained that the findings could be used not only in Germany, but in other countries as well. " Our research questions whether celebrities are the best ways to sell products," said Prof Martin."Celebrities can be effective but we found that many people were more convinced by an endorsement from a fictional fellow student. This is because many people feel a need to keep up with _ when they buy." We can probably read the article in  _  .
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