An exploration of the impact of celebrity on the HIV/AIDS pandemic

The framework we present in this article separates into three generations the celebrity/personality involvement in the AIDS movement that has been steadily building momentum over the past 25 years. We analyze the celebrification of HIV/AIDS and the role of the media in the process. We contend the relationship between celebrity, the public and HIV/AIDS is multipurpose: celebrities maintain a positive public presence between projects while allowing themselves and their supporting fans to feel good about taking on and affecting a meaningful cause. Celebrities are vehicles and embodiments of concern that act as proxies for their various audiences. And this is their power–celebrities are embodiments of their audiences. The awareness that celebrities have brought to the HIV/AIDS epidemic has resulted in better treatment for victims and increased government support for medical research, and yet has also distracted the public’s attention from the scope of the epidemic. It is the third generation of celebrities who are refocusing efforts on worldwide prevention and a cure for HIV/AIDS.

Celebrity capital as a strategic asset : implications for new venture strategies

Despite an increase in businesses started by celebrities, we have limited understanding as to how celebrity entrepreneurs benefit new ventures. Drawing on a reputational capital perspective, we develop the notion of celebrity capital and show how it can be used to uniquely differentiate the venture and to overcome liabilities of newness. We discuss how celebrity capital can negatively influence the venture when negative information about the celebrity surfaces and in terms of limiting the scope of the venture. We discuss the different strategic implications of celebrity capital for ventures using celebrity entrepreneurs versus endorsers.

Celebrity entrepreneurship and celebrity endorsement : similarities, differences and the effect of deeper engagement

Increasingly, celebrities appear not only as endorsers for products but are apparently engaged in entrepreneurial roles as initiators, owners and perhaps even managers in the ventures that market the products they promote. Despite being extensively referred to in popular media, scholars have been slow to recognise the importance of this new phenomenon. This thesis argues theoretically and shows empirically that celebrity entrepreneurs are more effective communicators than typical celebrity endorsers because of their increased engagement with ventures. I theorise that greater engagement increases the celebrity‘s emotional involvement as perceived by consumers. This is an endorser quality thus far neglected in the marketing communications literature. In turn, emotional involvement, much like the empirically established dimensions trustworthiness, expertise and attractiveness, should affect traditional outcome variables such as attitude towards the advertisement and brand. On the downside, increases in celebrity engagement may lead to relatively stronger and worsening changes in attitudes towards the brand if and when negative information about the celebrity is revealed. A series of eight experiments was conducted on 781 Swedish and Baltic students and 151 Swedish retirees. Though there were nuanced differences and additional complexities in each experiment, participants‘ reactions to advertisements containing a celebrity portrayed as a typical endorser or entrepreneur were recorded. The overall results of these experiments suggest that emotional involvement can be successfully operationalised as distinct from variables previously known to influence communication effectiveness. In addition, emotional involvement has positive effects on attitudes toward the advertisement and brand that are as strong as the predictors traditionally applied in the marketing communications literature. Moreover, the celebrity entrepreneur condition in the experimental manipulation consistently led to an increase in emotional involvement and to a lesser extent trustworthiness, but not expertise and attractiveness. Finally, negative celebrity information led to a change in participants‘ attitudes towards the brand which were more strongly negative for celebrity entrepreneurs than celebrity endorsers. In addition, the effect of negative celebrity information on a company‘s brand is worse when they support the celebrity rather than fire them. However, this effect did not appear to interact with the celebrity‘s purported engagement.

Advertising and Celebrity Endorsement in Burma

Burma (or Myanmar) is not a place that people normally associate with the glamour of film stars, or the fun and frivolity of celebrities, unlike in neighbouring India or Thailand. But each year the very matter-of-factly named ‘Myanmar Economics Import/Export VCD’ company produces a disk of the year’s most memorable television ads, showcasing some of the many Burmese celebrities on television at the moment. As a testament to the catchiness of the ads, disks have become so popular that they can be bought on street corners in Yangon for about 1000 Kyats (US$1). Though advertising in Burma is highly vetted for political content, much like film and print media, the samples featured show a surprising array of entertaining themes and ideas. Much of television advertising, in some way or another, draws upon the profiles of versatile Burmese celebrities to engage and build brand value.

If Kate voted conservative would you? The role of celebrity endorsements in political party advertising

Purpose – This research has been conducted with the aim of determining if celebrity endorsers in political party advertising have a significant impact on UK voter intentions. The use of celebrity endorsements is commonplace in the USA, but little is known about its effects in the UK. This research also aims to incorporate the use of celebrity endorsements in political party advertising with the political salience construct. Political salience represents how prominent politics and political issues are in the minds of the eligible voter. Design/methodology/approach – A 2 (endorser: celebrity; non-celebrity) £ 2 (political salience: high; low) between-subjects factorial design experiment was used. The results show that celebrity endorsements do play a significant role in attitudes towards the political advert, attitudes towards the endorser and voter intention. However, this effect is significantly moderated by political salience. Findings – The results show that low political salience respondents were significantly more likely to vote for the political party when a celebrity endorser is used. However, the inverse effect is found for high political salience respondents. Practical implications – The results offer significant insights into the effect that celebrity endorsers could have in future elections and the importance that political salience plays in the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement. If political parties are to target those citizens that do not actively engage with politics then the use of celebrity endorsements would make a significant impact, given the results of this research. Originality/value – This research would be of particular interest to political party campaigners as well as academics studying the effects of advertising and identity salience.

Charity law, advocacy and the aid/watch decision : compatibility of charitable purposes and political objects — the view from Australia

Introduction In 1952 the Nathan report stated that: Some of the most valuable activities of voluntary societies consist, however, in the fact that they may be able to stand aside from and criticize State action or inaction, in the interests of the inarticulate man in the street. Some 60 years later it remained the case that if a voluntary society wanted to gain or retain charitable status then, contrary to the Nathan report, the one thing it could not do was set itself up with the purpose of criticizing State action or inaction. This legal position was adopted by the authorities in Australia with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) noting in Taxation Ruling TR2005/21: 102. An institution or fund is not charitable if its purpose is advocating a political party or cause, attempting to change the law or government policy, or propagating or promoting a particular point of view. So, why, if it is such a valuable activity, have governments steadfastly refused to allow charities to have as their purpose the freedom to advocate in this way and how has this situation been affected by the recent High Court of Australia decision in Aid/Watch v Commissioner of Taxation? This article proposes to address such questions. Beginning with some background history, it explains that, initially, the current constraints did not apply. Then it looks at the nature of these constraints: how does the law define what constitutes the type of political activity that a charity must not undertake? What is the rationale for prohibition? How has the judiciary contributed to the development of the law in this area in recent years? This will lead into a consideration of the Aid/Watch case and the implications arising from the recent final decision. The article concludes by reflecting on what has changed and why the view on this contentious matter now looks different from Australia.

Dietetic confidence working with clients with depression/anxiety is associated with client-focused practice and advocacy skills

Confidence in a professional role is a key element in the successful transition to competent practice. New graduate dietitians report that whilst they are confident about their general dietetic ability, they are not as confident when working with clients experiencing depression or anxiety. This study aimed to develop and validate a scale which measured confidence about working with clients with depression/anxiety. The 21-item Dietetic Collaborative Practice Scale was developed using research about dietetic practice in mental health (Dowding et al., 2011), coping self-efficacy literature (Chesney et al., 2006) and collaboration with industry experts. A convenience sample of 189 Australian dietitians completed the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis suggests that dietetic confidence is best represented by a two-dimensional solution consisting of (a) Client-focused practice (CFP, 50.8% variance); and (b) Advocacy for self and client care (ASC, 9.7% variance). The alpha coefficient of both dimensions (CFP α=.95, ASC α=.84) demonstrates the internal consistency of components. Combined, these two components account for 60.5% of variance. The scale components were not related to years of practice or working with mental health clients but were significantly related to overall dietetic confidence (ODC). Correlation coefficients between ODC and CFP were .501 (p<.01), ODC and ASC were correlated at .465 (p<.01) and CFP and number of years as a dietitian were weakly correlated at 0.24 (p<.05). Results have implications for dietetic training and professional development. Client focus and advocacy for self and client appear to be important factors in overall confidence as a dietitian.

The battered child syndrome : changes in the law and child advocacy

In 1962, Dr C. Henry Kempe and his colleagues published the single most important article written to date about child maltreatment: The Battered-Child Syndrome. This chapter analyses the threefold nature of what these authors achieved: clearly identifing the medical evidence of severe child physical abuse and naming it as a syndrome; identifying the medical profession's resistance to its identification; and then translating their scholarship into advocacy for social and legal change. The chapter also traces some of the effects of Kempe's work, including the nature and effect of the subsequent introduction of mandatory reporting laws in the USA and internationally.

Advocacy for health : revisiting the role of health promotion

Issue addressed: The importance of advocacy in protecting the population’s health; and suggested strategies to advance an advocacy role. Discussion: This article explores the concept of health advocacy, discusses an example of successful health advocacy within Australia, and outlines and addresses some of the barriers to advocacy. It aims to encourage discussion on advocacy’s potential to improve the public’s health. Conclusions: Many of the major successes of health promotion have been facilitated through the efforts of advocates. This article supports the proposition that advocacy is a fundamental instrument of health promotion practice and suggests strategies to apply these principles in practice.