Why use celebrities to promote conservation, isn’t the CAUSE enough?

As its my intention to keep the topics and content for this blog on the ‘optimistic and fun’ side, I won’t go on a rant about one of my pet peeves, but I wanted to bring this topic up as one of the first discussion that we will file under Marine Matters. Why marine matters? Because this post will focus on marine conservation endorsements by celebrities.

So the BIG question is: why do some conservation organizations believe that using, local celebrities is helpful to the cause? Now I’m not referring to conservation celebrities such as the wonderful Jane Goodall or Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd fame, no, the celebrities I’m referring to are more in the ‘beautiful looking people’ category. Recently there have been two cases in Hong Kong that have left me questioning the integrity of the conservation efforts of the groups in question. One group have chosen to use local celebrities and models to promote a coastal cleanup program. The thing is coastal cleanup is about local communities caring for their community and the environment in that community, and even organizations rallying their employees together to participate in community based events. My view is that having local community groups promote conservation efforts is more real, honest and oozes integrity…….but I’m not very experienced in marketing or PR, so I put the question to the readers.

Courtesy of DB Green

Do you think that a celebrity can sell a conservation effort better than a real person from the related community?

The other case was a recent campaign by a shark conservation group – a matter close to my heart. Shark conservation and awareness has grown in leaps and bounds in the past couple of years and government are starting to listen…well some at least. A number of small shark protection zones have been put in place in small island nations such as Palau, Maldives, Bahamas, Honduras and more. I’ll post more on this in a future post as I want to stay on track!

With a solid movement of grass-roots conservationists, scuba divers, animal lovers and shark lovers supporting the cause, there should be plenty of resources to promote the campaign further. But it seems for this group this isn’t enough, they have used a couple of well-known models to promote a photo contest…..again I ask why?

Isn’t the cause enough?

What benefit does the use of celebrities bring to these causes?

Now I’m sure it can be argued that celebrity endorsement of environmental causes are at least better than endorsements of products that are bad for us and the environment, like bottled water, cosmetics full of parabens, phthalates, and carcinogens. Stephanie Soechtig writes a great piece on the hypocrisy of celebrity endorsement here. She makes a very important point; with endorsement comes responsibility on the part of the celebrity.

I hope that the celebrities endorsing these extremely important environmental campaigns take seriously the responsibility that goes with them. Do they? I wonder!

Why get involved in an environmental campaign?

What is more important to those who are involved or are thinking of getting involved in an environmental campaign…..

Is it the cause?
Is it the community, the environment, or the resource that you will be helping through participation?
Is it knowing that YOU are doing something meaningful and fulfilling for your environment and others?
Or is the reason you are involved because a famous person is telling you it’s the right thing to be involved in this month?

In fact a 2010 study found that “celebrities used in TV ads have a low impact on consumers” and that 20% actually have a “negative impact on consumers”. The authors suggest that we are more likely to be influenced by our community or social network that a celebrity connection. You may like to read this post here

I say that it would be better for the campaign and those involved if the ‘real’ people and the cause itself were used to promote and market the campaign.

Thanks for tuning in. Be well