Celebrities can be valuable to advertisers, but so too can the people who follow them on social media sites: 64% of US adults who follow a celebrity also follow a brand, according to a survey from The Nielsen Company.
Celebrity fans and followers are more likely to offer advice and opinion to fellow online consumers, particularly on entertainment topics. For example, 32% of adult fans of celebrities online frequently provide advice on movies, and such fans are 44% more likely to do so than online adults on average.
Some 28% of adult fans of celebrities offer opinions on music, and they are 56% more likely to do so than online adults on average. Similarly, 28% offer guidance on TV programs (34% more likely to do so).
Below, other findings from Nielsen's @Plan Release 4 2010, a quarterly survey of 36,000 US Internet users age 18+.
Higher Levels of Transactions, Purchases
Fans of celebrities are also valuable consumers in other areas online: Fully one-quarter use the Web to conduct personal banking transactions (25.4%) and manage their credit card accounts (25.2%).
Top online purchases among such online celebrity fans are clothing/shoes/accessories (18.2%), music (13.8%), and books (13.6%).
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Top Online Activities
Sending and receiving email, visiting social sites, and paying bills are the top online activities among online fans of celebrities.
Such fans, however, are far more likely than online adults on average to engage in various online activities:
- 86% more likely to comment/post on social networking sites.
- 83% more likely to view consumer generated video.
- 67% more likely to visit a social networking site.
- 45% more likely to play online games.
About the data: Nielsen's findings are based on data from the @Plan Release 4 2010, a quarterly survey of roughly 36,000 US Internet users age 18 and older, fused with Nielsen's NetView Internet usage from third quarter 2010.
