Celebrities dominate popular culture and often have a strong influence over what’s what in the entertainment space. Experts in the field of marketing and branding have long since experimented with ranking celebrities. Sure all of their status, power, and fortune are good indicators that they are generally liked in the public’s eye, but the nuances of how they truly rank against their peers (and competition) could be hair-splittingly close. There are multiple ways to assess the public awareness and likeability of a celebrity or public figure. One of the most effective ways to measure celebrity ratings is through a Q-score. The history of a q-score holds significant importance for understanding the impact of celebrities on public perception, media, marketing, and popular culture.
What is a Q-Score?
A Q-Score is a tool that is commonly used in measuring the public percept of a celebrity or public figure. This is done by calculating the measured familiarity and the appeal of the celebrity. A Q-Score can also be useful for characters, brands and more. Q-scores provide a quantitative measurement of a celebrity’s popularity and appeal. This helps move beyond subjective opinions and provides a standardized way to assess a celebrity’s public standing.
While a Q-Score can be incredibly useful for a celebrity’s team, agents, managers or PR relationships in order to make decisions about their client’s public eye. A q-score assessment is also a surprise secret weapon that marketers and researchers can use to propel their brand.
These scores also often aid marketers and advertisers to identify celebrities that have a resonance with their audience. They gauge familiarity and appeal in order to make decisions about which celebrities to invite to events, to promote their products or use them in a campaign to increase the likelihood of positive consumer response. Researchers can use Q-scores to compare the popularity of different celebrities, characters, or brands. This data-driven approach can provide insights into the factors that contribute to their appeal and help identify emerging trends.
However, some experts are questioning whether the Q-Score is out of style. Twenty years ago, the Q-score was used as a holy grail at evaluating where a celebrity stood with both familiarity and likability. This has completely changed with the introduction of the internet and the change of celebrity culture. There are a few reasons why that can be broken down with some simple formulas;
The Niche Celeb
Awareness + Likability
The internet has made it possible for anyone to post content that has the ability to access a large group of people. Large social media platforms such as Youtube and more recently Tiktok, have given people a chance to grow a devoted fan base without the household name status. These people might not be known by everyone (low awareness) but the people who are aware of them are incredibly supportive of these celebrities (likeability). Sometimes, some of these niche celebrities (such as Addison Rae) lose their These niche celebs also have the power to transition into household name status, but in turn this might lose them the likability that their small but loving fan base provided.
Power of Polarization
+Awareness – Likeability
This category is for public figures and celebrities that might be extremely well known, but they have notoriety or a polarizing reputation. The Kardashians for example, are some of the most followed people on Instagram in the world, but their Q-Score is lower for their familiarity because their reputation is polarizing. Celebrities need to make sure that their familiarity is growing, but their reputation is also appealing to a large group of people.
In essence, celebrity research, including Q-scores, offers insights that can guide decision-making in marketing, media coverage, entertainment production, and more. It allows stakeholders to make informed choices based on quantifiable data about a celebrity’s appeal and familiarity, contributing to ore effective strategies and outcomes in various industries. However, there is no doubt that the inherent unpredictability of public opinion and the ever-changing nature of trends can cause these numbers to fluctuate as time goes on. A celebrity’s reputation can quickly shift because of one event, a change in how people feel, or new competitors in the media. So, while celebrity research helps decision-makers, it’s important to also understand the bigger picture and be ready to change plans.
Are you interested in our market research capabilities?
