Are Consumers Still Buying What Celebrities, Influencers Are Selling?

As social media continues to shape shopping habits, the influence of celebrities and online personalities is being met with growing skepticism.

According to a recent Harris Poll study conducted for Credit Karma, nearly 69 percent of American social media users report having been “de-influenced,” meaning they intentionally chose not to purchase items advertised on social media. The primary reason for this decision is a lack of trust in social media influencers, cited by 32 percent of consumers.

At the forefront of this shift away from influencer-driven purchases is Gen Z, according to Poshmark, a peer-to-peer apparel resale platform where some resellers have also built their own influencer careers.

This generation’s growing skepticism toward influencers is closely tied to their values and economic circumstances. Gen Z consumers are not only more environmentally and socially conscious than their predecessors, but they are also increasingly aware of the negative consequences of overconsumption and feel a “personal responsibility” to mitigate their impact, Chloe Baffert, head of merchandising and curation at Poshmark, told WWD. 

Additionally, as the youngest generation in the workforce, Gen Z is navigating significant economic challenges such as inflation, high housing costs and substantial debt which further shapes their spending behaviors.

“Shopping to keep up with emerging trends is expensive, and Gen Z is promoting de-influencing and underconsumption-core as a way to romanticize what they already own and save money,” Baffert said. 

This evolving consumer mindset highlights a broader shift in how people interact with online content. 

As a result, micro-influencers are becoming increasingly prominent in the marketing landscape. These individuals, often possessing smaller — but highly engaged — audiences, offer a level of authenticity and personal connection that consumers are currently looking for, according to Baffert. 

“In today’s social media landscape, consumers crave authenticity and connection. Many microinfluencers build loyal, highly engaged audiences by making content for fun about their interests and focusing on building a strong connection with their viewers,” she added. “Microinfluencers can be more relatable to the everyday consumer. As they grow their platform and balance content creation with their full-time roles, their audiences are excited to support and be part of the journey.”

One example of this phenomenon is Ciara Haith (@_cicimichele on Instagram and TikTok), a microinfluencer who has seen steady growth in audience engagement in recent months. The fashion and beauty influencer, who has almost 500,000 followers on TikTok, said this is partly caused by her authenticity and willingness to consistently engage with her audience.

“Responding to comments and engaging in conversations with your audience is crucial. No one wants to feel like an outsider; everyone wants to feel included,” Haith told WWD. “I’ve also noticed that if viewers can tell content is sponsored or see a hashtag indicating it’s an ad, it tends to get less engagement. That’s why creators like myself strive to be more creative and authentic with sponsored posts by finding new ways to promote them and show viewers that even though it’s sponsored, it’s genuinely worth buying.”

Although Haith is seeing success on social media as a smaller creator, she doesn’t think that mega influencers like Daus Mendoza or Mikayla Nogueira are going away anytime soon. 

“It’s hard to say that big influencers are a thing of the past because when a smaller creator gains traction, they can quickly grow into a major influencer. It’s a cycle — when a creator becomes big, there’s always a new smaller creator emerging. I mean, everyone who starts out hopes to grow beyond their initial numbers, so it would be disheartening to think that achieving that goal means entering a ‘flop era,’” Haith said, adding that the key to maintaining your influence is to stay authentic and remember what made people fall in love with you in the first place. 

William Gasner, chief marketing officer of Stack Influence, said though microinfluencers are currently taking center stage, macro-influencer marketing hasn’t left its infancy. 

As new marketing trends continue to take shape, many brands have noted keeping a focus on influencer marketing. In fact, an eMarketer study shows marketing spending grew approximately 3.5 times faster than social ad spending in 2023.

“In my opinion, the reason brands are incrementally spending more budget on influencers vs social ads is that consumers’ social feeds have become bombarded with ads and everyone is becoming jaded by it,” Gasner told WWD. “However, when a consumer sees an authentic testimonial from a microinfluencer they can relate to it and it can be more enticing and trustworthy than a polished advertisement.”

Celebrity Partnerships Reign Supreme 

Despite consumer skepticism about the influence of online personalities, the use of celebrities in brand social and traditional media campaigns remains superior.

According to 5WPR’s 2024 Consumer Report, celebrity-driven campaigns continue to be highly impactful, particularly among consumers aged 25 to 44. Nearly half of consumers in this age group view being informed about a product or service by a recognizable celebrity on social media as a form of word-of-mouth marketing — an especially powerful influence given their “significant spending power,” Leslie Bishop, managing partner and executive vice president of global strategy at 5WPR, told WWD.

One brand that has successfully leveraged the power of celebrity-driven marketing is PVH-owned Calvin Klein.

Though designer Calvin Klein initially hesitated at the thought of producing television advertisements, the designer changed his tune in 1980 when it aired a series of denim commercials starring 15-year-old Brooke Shields.

Fast-forward to 2024, the New York-headquartered brand has “masterfully combined” its strong brand identity with strategic celebrity partnerships like Kendall Jenner, Jeremy Allen White, Troye Sivan and more, creating captivating campaigns. 

“Calvin Klein has a long-standing history of maintaining a consistent identity, carefully selecting celebrities who resonate with their evolving core demographic,” Bishop said. “Although the celebrities featured in their campaigns may change over time, the messaging remains consistent, reinforcing the brand’s identity and deepening its connection with consumers. This consistency, coupled with the brand’s ability to adapt to cultural shifts, ensures that Calvin Klein remains relevant and impactful across different generations.”