Do paid celebrity endorsements deliver returns for brands?

Adam Grenier · Mar 15, 2023 · hedged

The majority of Masterclass's new customers came from Masterclass's own marketing rather than the celebrity instructors' distribution channels

Talent leverage produces a launch spark like hitting the New York Times bestseller list, but far more value accrues from a class over time than from that launch moment

10:04 Celebrity instructor distribution drives less value than the companys own marketing machine

Shervin Pishevar · Jan 13, 2025

Recruiting celebrities as investors and as 'rider zero/rider one' was an effective, replicable playbook for launching Uber in new cities worldwide.

Having a local celebrity take the first ride helped the launch land in each market; they replicated it globally with Bollywood actors and cricket players in India.

29:01 Celebrity investors and first riders effectively launch new markets

Harry Stebbings · Jan 31, 2026

Large celebrity endorsement payments do not deliver the returns companies expect

He has been inside many companies that paid millions for things like a single Ronaldo Instagram post and it never worked as expected

53:48 Large celebrity payments consistently fail to return

Omer Shai · Jan 31, 2026

Celebrity endorsement only works when the depicted behaviour is believable for that celebrity, so you should not show a superstar doing your product's task

Nobody believes Ronaldo would build a website for himself; today Wix works with Manchester City players around its customers and users rather than putting players in front of a computer

54:00 Works only when the depicted behaviour is believable for that celebrity