Celebrity? Doctor? Celebrity Doctor? Which Spokesperson is Most Effective for Cancer Prevention?

Abstract

Mass media campaigns that target health behaviour change, such as cancer prevention behaviours, often feature a spokesperson. While commercial marketers tend to focus on the physical and familiar attributes of a spokesperson, in a health context the perceived character and credibility of the spokesperson is expected to have a greater impact on an advertisement’s effectiveness. This two-part study examines the impact of three health spokesperson types (celebrity, medical doctor and celebrity doctor) and their source characteristics (expertise, familiarity) on an audience’s intention to act on preventative cancer advertising messages. The findings from this study contribute to understanding of the role celebrities and medical doctor spokespersons play in influencing an individual to follow health advice.