Lewis Hamilton has been voted the UK’s favourite brand ambassador in a poll of 2,000 consumers undertaken by UTalkMarketing.
The 24 year old has risen from a humble English housing estate to owning a Swiss mansion, nabbing a Pussycat Doll girlfriend, and receiving an MBE from the Queen. Not to mention the £20 million plus in earnings he’s made in brand endorsements such as Reebok and Santander.
According to UTtalkMarketing’s exclusive research which asked consumers about their attitudes towards celebrity endorsement, Lewis Hamilton received the highest vote for the celebrity personality most likely to make them buy a product. He received 15 percent of the vote which is more than double the score he received last year. He has risen above the bad press around his self imposed exile or ‘to escape intrusions of his privacy’ and has come out on top.
Things are not looking so rosy for camp Beckham with a mere 2 per cent of consumers voting David as the celebrity most likely to make them buy a product.
Beckham’s income from endorsements fell 6.6 per cent in 2007* which suggests the value of Beckham is diminishing and everyone is longing for a new sports hero. Lewis Hamilton appears to be adopting that role.
There is more bad news in store for Brand Beckham - when consumers were polled on the celebrity who would be least likely to make them part with their hard earned cash, Posh Spice took the top spot with a staggering 33 per cent of the vote, joint with former Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona.
Jamie Oliver was voted the UK’s favourite brand ambassador in 2008 but has dropped into second place this year with 12 per cent of the vote. However, when asked which celebrity was most trustworthy, he came out on top with 20 per cent of the vote putting him ahead of Gary Lineker and Myleene Klass who follow closely behind.
His attack on battery farmed sold chickens allegedly landed him in hot water with Sainsbury’s back in October and his contract renewal came under threat. However, the supermarket bosses who pay him £1.2 million a year will be pleased to know that this hasn’t affected his popularity.
Niall McKinney, CEO of Utalkmarketing, the leading marketing website in the UK said: “Lewis Hamilton has established himself as the UK’s premier sporting brand ambassador. Being leader of the celebrity pack will earn him tens of millions in endorsements and advertising over his career, if he can hold on to it. The downturn is unlikely to be affecting him for some time!”
However there could be bad news in store for marketers and celebrities alike - as a whopping 72 per cent of consumers said that the use of a celebrity has no impact at all on their likelihood to buy a product, with a further 70 per cent saying there are too many celebrity endorsed products on the market today.
Source : UTalkMarketing
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