UK consumers unimpressed by celebrity links

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Nov 29, 2017

Luxury brands spend millions to work with high-profile celebrities, but a new survey has revealed that around three quarters of British consumers are actually indifferent to celebrity endorsements.

A survey of 1,025 people in the UK found that indeed, only 25% of consumers aged 35-54 say a piece of jewellery should be worn by celebrities to appreciate it and the proportion drops to a mere 10% among those aged over 55. 

Celebrities seem to have a bigger influence on younger shoppers, with around 40% of 18 to 34-year olds feeling inspired when celebrities wear watches and jewellery from a particular brand.

The findings were unveiled by Inhorgenta, the German trade show for jewellery and timepieces, as part of its 2018 Inhorgenta Trend Index.

"Great Britain is known for its cult of celebrity surrounding film and fashion stars or the Premier League," said Stefanie Mändlein, exhibition director of Inhorgenta Munich. "As brand ambassadors for watches and jewellery, though, celebrities have a very limited influence, particularly on well-to-do customer groups." 

British consumers seem to be more susceptible to expert advice when shopping for timepieces and jewellery, with 70% of those surveyed placing great value on customer service in traditional jewellery shops.

Additionally, 60% of consumers believe traditional shops should use technology to provide a better experience, according to the report. "The industry would do well to broaden customer relations in the future by using new digital channels," said Mändlein.

This doesn’t mean Brits would like digital to completely change the luxury shopping experience. In fact, 56% of consumers do not expect jewellery stores to be supplanted by digital platforms, as they trust the advice of specialist traders.