Nunok's Blog: How Celebrity Appearances at CES Backfired [INFOGRAPHIC]

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How Celebrity Appearances at CES Backfired [INFOGRAPHIC]

via Mashable! by Brian Anthony Hernandez on 1/18/12

By now, you can easily name the celebrities who attended the Consumer Electronics Show last week. But don't be surprised if you're struggling to remember which brands they represented.

An overwhelming 85% of social media mentions about those celebrities did not reference the gadgets or companies they were promoting at CES, according to research from marketing agency Oxford Communications and social analytics company NM Incite.

SEE ALSO: I Went to Find a Robot at CES, But Found Justin Bieber Instead

"Having Justin Bieber at your booth may get you some extra press coverage, but there are very few teen girls walking around CES," Christopher Stemborowski, associate communication strategist at Oxford, told Mashable. "So what is a brand like TOSY getting for what was likely a significant investment?"

Just 10% of the buzz about Bieber on social networks mentioned robotic toys company TOSY, which reportedly spent six figures to have the YouTube star-turned-mega-celebrity endorse a robot.

"I think brands that develop deeper partnerships reap bigger benefits," Stemborowski adds. "Polaroid and IBM in years past have tapped Lady Gaga and Will.i.am to bolster CES efforts, but these appearances have come on the back of bigger collaborations."

Aside from dishing details on celebrities, the infographic below — cleverly titled "What Happens at CES?" — offers a visual wrap-up of the tech-heavy Las Vegas trade show, including a deep dive into which brands and gadgets people were discussing the most online (Samsung, Google, Microsoft, tablets, smartphones and TVs) and which tech enthusiasts were most influential when sharing CES content (Mashable editor in chief Lance Ulanoff).

Do you think celebrity endorsements are worth the steep investment? If you were managing the marketing budget for a big brand, would you consider roping in a celebrity to help create buzz for your product or service? Sound off in the comments.