Are you inspired to visit Scotland by celebrity endorsements?
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Andy Murray, the top male British tennis player, a fellow Scot, is one of the celebrities telling us of his favourite places in his home country in the Visit Scotland “Be Inspired” Campaign. It’s unfortunate that Murray crashed out of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships yesterday with a distinctly uninspiring performance. I suppose there’s always a danger of using celebrities in a marketing campaign which has to be planned months in advance as you never know what the status of the celebrities will be at the time the campaign is unleashed.
Crathes Castle Gardens, Aberdeenshire - one of my favourite places in Scotland
Are you more inclined to visit an area with a campaign which:
1 offers descriptions authored by journalists or staff writers
2 recommendations from “ordinary” travellers
3 recommendations from celebrities
4 concentrates on photos, you don’t care too much about the text
I think that photos influence me most, although I know photos can be doctored it’s easier and quicker to evaluate a destination through a photo than reading paragraphs of flowery prose. Some celebrity endorsements could actually put me of visiting a place.
I know that we all believe that we aren’t influenced by advertising campaigns but I do think although a campaign may not have you rushing to immediately make a booking but it does heighten your awareness of a destination and makes it more likely that you’ll consider that destination when thinking of trips in the future.
Written by Karen Bryan, Editor
July 4th, 2008 at 5:36 am
I like celebrity endorsements (as long as I like the celebrity) One of my fav travel books is Celebrated Weekends: The Stars’ Guide to 50 of the Most Exciting Cities in the World - listed here - http://thingsyoushoulddo.com/best-travel-bookstore
I like high end restaurants, spas, etc., and I think a celebrity endorsement is more reliable than many anonymous travel writers would be.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Thanks for your comment, Juliemarg. I can see your point about a celebrity endorsement being more reliable than an anonymous travel writer, if you already “know” that celebrities tastes and preference and they are in tune with yours versus the opinion of a travel writer about whom you know very little. Yet you have to wonder if a paid celeb endorsement is valid. However if it’s a travel writer that you read regularly and get to know that their preferences are broadly aligned with yours. their endorsement could be as valid as that of a celeb.
As you point out the celeb endorsement iis probably more relevant to the high end of the market