Kamala Harris and Limits to Celebrity Endorsements
Do celebrity endorsements help or hurt?
During the pandemic, I noticed a growing backlash towards some celebrities. There were a handful of celebrities who posted content that suggested they were out of touch with ordinary Americans. The public reacted negatively.
For a moment, it felt as though celebrities were somewhat of social pariahs, at least temporarily. Some of the ire was understandable.
Alyssa Milano asked fans to donate to her son’s baseball team? Two weeks later she was slammed for attending the Super Bowl, with some fans expressing she was out of touch with the day-to-day realities of working people.
She’s not the only. In August 2023, Oprah and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sparked controversy when they asked fans to donate to a wildfire relief fund for Maui residents instead of covering the entire bill themselves. The public rightly wondered why people of their stature weren’t funding relief efforts entirely versus asking the public to do so.
There appears to be a growing segment of society who aren’t motivated by celebrities or para-social relationships. Given this, I was surprised to see so many celebrities incorporated into Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
When leaders run for elected office, they often seek celebrity endorsement. But there is a limit to the effectiveness of these endorsements. They can also open a candidate up for scrutiny, as Vice President Kamala Harris has learned.
Flanked by Celebrities
Harris had a string of celebrity endorsers including Angela Bassett, Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Cardi B, Eminem, Megan tha Stallion, 2 Chainz, Beyonce, Oprah, and more. She had numerous celebrities headline rallies and other campaign events. Harris’ campaign is now in debt to the tune of $20 million with some blaming celebrity spending as the culprit.
When you have a series of high-profile endorsers who are traveling to different locations, you are likely running up an expensive tab. Even if the celebrities donate their time, campaigns would still be on the hook for the cost of travel, security and event production.
For instance, according to Federal Election Commission filings, Harpo Studios, allegedly received $2.5 million for Oprah’s sit-down interview with Harris.
Even if cost is not an issue, multiple celebrity endorsements can blunt the impact of subsequent endorsements. Does a single endorsement matter when there is a succession of higher profile endorsements? I’m not so sure.
Substance Over Style
When used strategically, celebrity endorsements can be a boost for political campaigns. But they can’t mask or atone for deeper concerns about a candidate, campaign or movement.
They can also open the candidate or campaign up to questions, such as what we are seeing with concerns around Kamala Harris’ campaign spending.
While Donald Trump certainly incorporated celebrity endorsements, they didn’t headline every rally he held. With the exception of Elon Musk, his celebrity endorsers were a backstory, not the main story.
How to Incorporate Celebrity Endorsers
It’s ok to use celebrity endorsers. But I recommend utilizing celebrities for direct, one-on-one voter engagement, such as phone-banking, door-to-door canvassing, or house parties and fundraisers.
In this way, celebrity endorsers will help turn out the vote, versus siphon off precious campaign resources. Even the suggestion that a celebrity is a misuse of campaign funds could lead to an unnecessary PR crisis.
Having one candidate after another speak at a political rally will not move people to vote, but it will expend precious campaign resources.
Jennifer R. Farmer is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Check out all blog posts and subscribe for regular communications updates.