The analysis highlights methods for changing the air of secrecy of superstar into credibility for a public pastime purpose. So are those opinion leaders permitting associations to gather extra donations? To steer our impulses of generosity? Explanations in graphics.
Celebrities, and extra not too long ago influencers, not simply entertain: they pressure our elections. From the manufacturers we purchase to the positions we tackle moral problems, their footprint is in all places. They’re setting up themselves as actual resources of knowledge for shoppers.
Their affect does now not prevent at client choices. Actors, comedians and streamers form our impulses to offer and the reasons we make a choice to make stronger. Many personalities spotlight their charitable dedication: Pierre Garnier from Consider for Margo, Florence Foresti from the Girls’s Basis and even Omar Si from Eating places du coeur. At the influential aspect, ZEvent 2025 left its mark: in 3 days of the marathon on Twitch, greater than 16.2 million euros have been gathered due to personalities corresponding to ZeratoR, Kameto or Baghera Jones.
To higher perceive those mechanisms, we carried out a sequence of research to know whether or not superstar air of secrecy lends credibility to a purpose to be supported. Particularly, we offered shoppers with a number of personalities, ambassadors of a purpose, and analyzed whether or not they have got a good have an effect on at the credibility of reasons of basic pastime.
Flip air of secrecy into credibility
Our first, intuitive learn about is composed of deciding on an individual whose tale is without delay associated with the purpose. For instance, celebrities corresponding to Selena Gomez and Girl Gaga may also be credible ambassadors for adolescence psychological well being, given the trauma they skilled at a tender age. The similar is going for Emma Watson’s battle for gender equality, strengthened by way of her revel in within the remedy of younger women and teen ladies within the movie business.
Any other learn about is in response to what the researchers name that means switch. On this procedure, symbols related to an individual are transferred to a product, emblem, or group. On this method, a character can carry its cultural air of secrecy, its universe, or its symbolic values to a goal, even with out an evident direct connection.
When notoriety turns into experience
In a learn about with 200 respondents, we examined the affect of the ambassador’s persona enchantment on their stage of perceived credibility in opposition to the purpose and the choice of donations gathered.
To that finish, we knowledgeable learn about individuals that tennis participant Andy Murray is the brand new ambassador for “Let’s Go Green!” », a fictitious non-governmental group. Within the first staff, we described the tennis participant, highlighting his good looks and his air of secrecy. In the second one staff, we offered a extra impartial description of the athlete. We then measured the perceived credibility of the individual thru statements corresponding to “This influencer is a reliable source of information” or “I can trust this person.”
The respondents in any case had the chance to make a donation to the proposed NGO. The effects are unanimous: the presence of this air of secrecy is an very important situation for the good fortune of fundraising campaigns. Will increase the risk to donate from 43% to 54%.
Supplied by way of the creator. A previous that provides weight
Past their air of secrecy, some celebrities bolster their credibility by way of emphasizing a private connection to the purpose they make stronger. When Mika will get fascinated with associations that assist Lebanon, his message positive factors power, because it emphasizes his dedication to this nation of beginning.
To check this speculation, we carried out a 2nd learn about with 402 topics. The latter may make stronger a personality-related purpose by way of various the kind of purpose and persona. To do that, we when compared the effectiveness of promoting when the purpose is supported by way of Leonardo DiCaprio, a celeb recognized for his air of secrecy, and Greta Thunberg, higher recognized for her activism. First, we when compared teams during which those personalities supported an environmental marketing campaign, related to the previous of 2 celebrities, and some other marketing campaign supporting get admission to to schooling. Subsequent, we measured the credibility of the ambassador’s persona.
When this connection is highlighted, the credibility of the fame or influencer in opposition to the objective is subsequently additional enhanced.

Supplied by way of the creator. The facility of symbolic transmission
Even if they have got no direct connection to a purpose, celebrities can provide it credibility by way of connecting their symbolic universe to it. A comic who lends his symbol to a unity marketing campaign, or a pop singer who helps clinical analysis, isn’t essentially a professional at the topic. This switch of that means, offered above, permits associations to succeed in the general public not directly, capitalizing at the cultural symbol of the individual.
We carried out a 3rd learn about with 400 respondents. Thought: invite individuals to make stronger the affiliation for ecology. In a single staff, the persona ambassador is Keanu Reeves, and within the different, Eminem. We have been in a position to determine upfront that Eminem displayed larger symbolic capital than Keanu Reeves. In each circumstances, we modified the good looks and air of secrecy of the ambassador’s persona by way of appearing her in a good or impartial place.
The effects display {that a} persona with larger symbolic capital, corresponding to Eminem, is perceived as extra credible, which will increase their talent to generate a surge of generosity.

Supplied by way of the creator.