Do Celebrities Wield Political Power?

E-Poll Market Research, a leading authority in celebrity and brand research, released a new study today that states celebrities are not as influential in the political arena as they are in lending their support to products, fashion, entertainment and book properties.

According to E-Poll's survey of 2,237 voting age Americans, only 16% claim that the endorsement of a candidate by a celebrity they admire would positively impact their overall perception of that candidate. "The 'cult of personality' has certainly begun creeping into people's lives," says Gerry Philpott, President/CEO of E-Poll Market Research, "however, when it comes to 'bread and butter' issues such as healthcare, national security, and the economy, voters will turn to family, friends, civic/church leaders, and their chosen media as influencers in their voting decisions."

When asked to list the celebrity endorsers who would have the strongest positive influence on their perceptions of the presidential candidates, Oprah Winfrey had the largest impact by far, mentioned by 20% of respondents, followed by George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bono and Al Gore.

Democratic candidates are slightly more likely to be helped by a celebrity endorsement than Republicans, but the impact is still very minor. As evidence, Oprah's endorsement has not helped Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama move the needle against rival candidate Hillary Clinton. Moreover, E-Poll's study shows that 10% of Americans would actually have a more negative perception of a candidate if backed by a celebrity endorsement -- even if they liked the celebrity. Of the celebrities that might have the most negative impact for a candidate, Rosie O'Donnell leads the charge followed by Tom Cruise, Madonna, Jane Fonda and Donald Trump.

Younger Americans age 18-24 are the most likely to be positively influenced by a celebrity political endorsement -- 26%. Celebrities mentioned most often by this younger group include Oprah, Jon Stewart, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

If a candidate is looking for that narrow margin with swing voters, they shouldn't look for a celebrity cure. Independents and swing voters are the least likely to be influenced by a celebrity endorsement, with only 13% saying they would be positively persuaded.

METHODOLOGY: This online survey was conducted among a nationwide, representative sample of 2,237 adults, 18 years of age or older, from September 10-13, 2007. Results based on the total sample are considered accurate at the 95% confidence level, within +/- 2 percentage points.

E-Poll Market Research

E-Poll Market Research is a leading provider of syndicated and custom consumer research for entertainment and media companies. Subscription services include E-Score(TM) Celebrity/Character/Brand evaluations and FastTrack(TM) TV tracking. Custom services include methodology and survey design, data analysis and reporting. E-Poll offers it's highly profiled proprietary research panel in addition to traditional and online focus groups.

Source:E-Poll Market Research