Not all CEOs are Created Equal as Advertising Spokespersons: Evaluating the Effective CEO Spokesperson

Abstract

In spite of the growing practice of using CEOs as company spokespersons, such a practice may not yield the benefits expected. The mere fact that a person is a CEO does not mean (s)he automatically will be perceived as a credible and persuasive spokesperson. The results of this study indicate that only under certain conditions should the CEO be used and then, only if the CEO is perceived to possess certain credibility-linked dimensions. Failure to attend to these considerations may lead to advertising situations where ad dollars are better spent focusing attention on the product or the company rather than on the CEO. In some cases, use of the CEO may even detract from the overall objectives of the ad.