https://www.statnews.com/2023/11/02/travis-kelce-taylor-swift-celebrities-vaccine-endorsements-pfizer-research/
Once the domain of aging TV stars, hawking health products from vitamins to diabetes supplies to a geriatric demographic, A-list celebrity endorsements of health care products are positively trendy. Migraine sufferer Lady Gaga has a deal with Nurtec ODT, a prescription drug that treats migraines from pharma company Pfizer. “This Is Us” actor Mandy Moore is contracted by Incyte to promote Opzelura, an eczema treatment. Now Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who is making headlines as Taylor Swift’s current paramour, is the latest — and buzziest — pharma spokesperson. In a campaign promoted by Pfizer, he encourages people to get a “twofer”—a Covid shot and flu shot at the same time.
But there’s a problem here for Kelce and Pfizer (and it’s not Jets QB and anti-vaxxer Aaron Rodgers’ trash talking): Celebrity endorsements to promote health behavior change don’t work, at least not in the way you might think…
Research has shown that when it comes to our health, motivating behavior change is a difficult thing. Essentially, if we’re not already doing the behavior by choice, it is difficult to convince us to do something different. We tend to downplay, discredit, or even ignore suggestions that run contrary to our current behaviors and interests, even to our own detriment….
But not impossible. The message must discuss the benefits the action will provide, as well as effectively reduce objections and increase their confidence of successfully engaging in the behavior change. More importantly, all of this must be done by a credible source who this audience trusts. They must believe the spokesperson understands health and medicine. Fail on any of these points and you lose the consumer. Health messaging designed to change health behaviors is unforgiving….
The result of the costly ad: The celebrity reinforced the action of those who were already going to do the behavior, entrenched those even more who were against the behavior, and was ignored by those who were the actual focus of the commercial in the first place. Indeed, the promo did nothing to boost Pfizer’s bottom line. The pharma company lost more than $2 billion in the third quarter due to lackluster sales of their Covid products.
https://www.statnews.com/2023/11/02/travis-kelce-taylor-swift-celebrities-vaccine-endorsements-pfizer-research/