Star Power: Elevating Prospective Student Interest through Expert and Celebrity Endorsements-Relevant Message, Relevant Media

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

College and University

Abstract

This study investigates how universities can increase the effectiveness of the search process by featuring in their advertisements expert and celebrity endorsers who attended the institution. How can universities gain the attention of prospective students using the star power of experts and celebrities? Experts and celebrities promoting a university offer prospective students an element of truth: the endorsers themselves enrolled at the institution. High school students are attracted to star power, which can be leveraged to elevate the level of attention paid to a university during the search process. Using the qualitative research method of focus-group interviewing, the current research reveals that millennials believe that experts and celebrities are ideal spokespersons for their alma maters; "follow" expert and celebrity endorsers because they are relevant to their personality and lifestyle; and gravitate toward messages within integrated media campaigns that feature the expert or the celebrity's personal collegiate journey.

Publication Date

4-2016

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