Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Popular Culture Studies Journal

Abstract

This study explores how celebrity endorsements can influence prospective students' interest in community colleges, particularly during the college search phase. Despite offering significant educational and financial advantages, community colleges often struggle with a public image that suggests inferiority to four-year institutions. This research investigates whether leveraging the fame and relatability of celebrity alumni can help overcome this perception and increase student engagement.

Using a qualitative focus group method, the study surveyed 67 former community college students from various U.S. states. Participants discussed their awareness of celebrity endorsements, preferred media for consuming such content, and the potential effectiveness of celebrities as community college brand ambassadors. The majority of participants reported a strong connection to celebrities via social media and entertainment media, and many indicated that a celebrity’s genuine association with a community college would make that institution more appealing.

Findings indicate that celebrities can act as credible, relatable, and influential brand ambassadors, especially when they are authentic users of the "product"—in this case, community college education. Participants were particularly drawn to the idea of advertisements showing celebrities "traveling back in time" to portray themselves as students making college decisions. This approach, blending storytelling with authenticity, was perceived as both engaging and informative.

The study integrates consumer behavior theories such as Source Credibility Theory, Source Attractiveness Theory, and Meaning Transfer Theory to explain why celebrity endorsements work. It concludes that community colleges could benefit from targeted marketing campaigns that emphasize their celebrity alumni to build ethos, boost visibility, and appeal to millennial values of relatability and success.

Publication Date

2017

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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