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Books by Mark Harvey
Why should we listen to celebrities like Bono or Angelina Jolie when they endorse a politician or... more Why should we listen to celebrities like Bono or Angelina Jolie when they endorse a politician or take a position on an issue? Do we listen to them? Despite their lack of public policy experience, celebrities are certainly everywhere in the media, appealing on behalf of the oppressed, advocating policy change—even, in one spectacular case, leading the birther movement all the way to the White House. In this book Mark Harvey takes a close look into the phenomenon of celebrity advocacy in an attempt to determine the nature of celebrity influence, and the source and extent of its power.
Focusing on two specific kinds of power—the ability to “spotlight” issues in the media and to persuade audiences—Harvey searches out the sources of celebrity influence and compares them directly to the sources of politicians’ influence. In a number of case studies—such as Jolie and Ben Affleck drawing media attention to the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Bob Marley uniting warring factions in Jamaica; John Lennon networking with the new left to oppose Richard Nixon’s re-election; Elvis Presley working with Nixon to counter anti-war activism—he details the role of celebrities working with advocacy groups and lobbying politicians to affect public opinion and influence policy. A series of psychological experiments demonstrate that celebrities can persuade people to accept their policy positions, even on national security issues.
Harvey’s analysis of news sources reveals that when celebrities speak about issues of public importance, they get disproportionately more coverage than politicians. Further, his reading of surveys tells us that people find politicians no more or less credible than celebrities—except politicians from the opposing party, who are judged less credible. At a time when the distinctions between politicians and celebrities are increasingly blurred, the insights into celebrity influence presented in this volume are as relevant as they are compelling.
“Celebrity politicians and politicized celebrities have had a vital impact upon politics within the first two decades of the 21st century. Mark Harvey’s important new book provides a theoretically informed and empirically grounded account of this phenomenon. His qualitative and quantitative analysis concerning the political effects of celebrity engagement is especially welcome due to it terrific level of detail. Moreover, Harvey’s insightful account is particularly prescient in the light of the ultimate celebrity politician Donald Trump’s ascendency to the office of the Presidency of the United States.”
—Mark Wheeler, Professor of Political Communications London Metropolitan University
“In Celebrity Influence Mark Harvey makes a persuasive case for the power of celebrities to shape the national conversation. Harvey offers a detailed and historically rich context through which to understand how entertainers and athletes channel their fame and credibility with audiences into political action. In an era when show business and politics have become increasingly intertwined, Harvey presents a timely analysis of an underappreciated topic.”
—Alan Schroeder, author of Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trail
Articles by Mark Harvey
University Press of Kansas, 2017
The NFL protests are only one of many celebrity-fueled political controversies during the Trump p... more The NFL protests are only one of many celebrity-fueled political controversies during the Trump presidency. Why is there such a proliferation of celebrity activism? More importantly, does it amount to anything? What does our knowledge of celebrity influence tell us about the recent NFL controversy?
Musicology Australia, 2016
The album as an art form emerged in the mid-1960s, in part because rock musicians demanded greate... more The album as an art form emerged in the mid-1960s, in part because rock musicians demanded greater studio autonomy from record companies. However, an underexplored factor contributing to the emergence of the art rock album is how record companies began to market their ‘stars’ as ‘artists’ as a means to sell more records. This article focuses upon how Capitol Records capitalized upon the artistry of the Beatles and the Beach Boys to change the norms of the industry, leading to the increased marketability of the album as a coherent work of art.
Business History, 2016
This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 f... more This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 forced the recording industry to rethink their marketing strategies. The industry’s focus on weak unit strategies and capitalisation on the emergent artistic aesthetic are evaluated. To establish correlations between strategies and the popularity of singles and albums between 1955 and 1979, OLS models were generated using large datasets on chart performance of albums and singles. This study concludes that the industry tended toward sub-optimal, risk-averse strategies, and that the LP likely succeeded despite record companies’ efforts to control their products and messaging.
Leavenworth Times, 2016
Are Super Bowl Advertisements a Waste of Money? By Mark Harvey This Sunday will mark one of the... more Are Super Bowl Advertisements a Waste of Money?
By Mark Harvey
This Sunday will mark one of the most exciting days for television entertainment of the year. Popular R&B singer Drake will humorously deconstruct his popular “Hotline Bling” song and video. Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer will campaign on behalf of a fake political party. A touring group of space aliens will reflect on the history and culture of earth by revisiting the Rubik’s cube—and Scott Baio. And dozens of dachshunds dressed like hot dogs will scurry across an open plain toward a group of people dressed like condiments. During the breaks in this top-notch entertainment line-up, you will be treated to a football game.
Indeed, many who do not know (or care) who is playing in Super Bowl 50 will still tune into CBS—just to watch those commercials. Advertisers will fork out an average of 4.8 million dollars for a 30-second slot, not counting the cost of producing these engaging mini-dramas. The reason for the expense is obvious: companies compete for the attention of an estimated 117 million people.
Clearly, these companies can afford it. But is it worth it? A brief examination of the evidence offers a surprising answer: maybe not.
Consider answers to these seemingly obvious questions:
1. Will Super Bowl advertisements increase the likelihood that consumers will buy a product? Not necessarily. According to a study by the advertising firm Communicus, eighty percent of Super Bowl ads do not work at all, and sixty percent do not increase the likelihood that consumers would purchase the advertised product, even when the ads were aired for over four weeks past the game. According to these numbers, an investment in that thirty-second time slot yields a 20-40% chance of success.
2. Do memorable ads improve sales? No. A 2000 EDS commercial, which features cowboys herding cats, was one of the most famous Super Bowl ads of all time. Unfortunately, after the game, nobody could remember the company’s name, or precisely what it sold. Moreover, for all of the ads we remember, hundreds more are quickly forgotten.
3. Do celebrities make a difference? It depends. Making a successful celebrity campaign is not as easy as putting Harvey Keitel in a fancy car, or putting Christopher Walken in a closet as he compares people to colored socks, as the case may be this year. If the celebrity is a mismatch for the product, the result can be disastrous. For example, researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder demonstrated that Jessica Simpson can sell perfume, but not pocket knives. In addition, celebrities may increase attention and brand recognition, but generally do not increase a consumer’s intent to buy.
4. Does advertising during the Super Bowl give a company an advantage over its competitors? Not if you’re selling drinks. A Stanford study reveals that soda and beer companies may not profit if their rivals also advertise during the Super Bowl. Thus, if Coke and Pepsi both post ads in those expensive slots, they may increase the amount of pop that a household may purchase, but neither brand will earn “profit gain to offset their advertising investment.” In short, if Coke advertises and Pepsi does not, Coke wins. Thus, both companies feel compelled to buy advertisements to prevent the other company from gaining an advantage, and CBS rakes in the profits.
The business of advertisement is, in many cases, as much art as science. The Super Bowl gives companies a massive and captive audience. Companies hope for a bump in sales, and buzz around the watercooler. These ads may generate positive feelings about a brand over a longer term, an effect that is difficult to measure. However, we are no more certain about which ads will help a company’s revenue than we know who will win the big game.
Whether companies profit or not, it is quite possible that the commercials may be more exciting than the game or who wins it. To that end, perhaps you are the real winner on Sunday.
Proceedings by Mark Harvey
Proceedings from the 57th Adult Education Research Conference. , 2016
This study explored the effectiveness of a structured group project planning process on percepti... more This study explored the effectiveness of a structured group project planning process
on perceptions of accountability, communication, satisfaction, and attitudes about group projects
with adult learners (N = 66). Results indicated the structured planning process had little impact
on adult learners’ attitudes about group projects and highlighted the power of prior group
experiences in impacting future attitudes about group projects.
Chapter in Edited Volume by Mark Harvey
Papers by Mark Harvey
Business History
This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 f... more This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 forced the recording industry to rethink their marketing strategies. The industry’s focus on weak unit strategies and capitalisation on the emergent artistic aesthetic are evaluated. To establish correlations between strategies and the popularity of singles and albums between 1955 and 1979, OLS models were generated using large datasets on chart performance of albums and singles. This study concludes that the industry tended toward sub-optimal, risk-averse strategies, and that the LP likely succeeded despite record companies’ efforts to control their products and messaging.
Why should we listen to celebrities like Bono or Angelina Jolie when they endorse a politician or... more Why should we listen to celebrities like Bono or Angelina Jolie when they endorse a politician or take a position on an issue? Do we listen to them? Despite their lack of public policy experience, celebrities are certainly everywhere in the media, appealing on behalf of the oppressed, advocating policy change—even, in one spectacular case, leading the birther movement all the way to the White House. In this book Mark Harvey takes a close look into the phenomenon of celebrity advocacy in an attempt to determine the nature of celebrity influence, and the source and extent of its power.
Focusing on two specific kinds of power—the ability to “spotlight” issues in the media and to persuade audiences—Harvey searches out the sources of celebrity influence and compares them directly to the sources of politicians’ influence. In a number of case studies—such as Jolie and Ben Affleck drawing media attention to the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Bob Marley uniting warring factions in Jamaica; John Lennon networking with the new left to oppose Richard Nixon’s re-election; Elvis Presley working with Nixon to counter anti-war activism—he details the role of celebrities working with advocacy groups and lobbying politicians to affect public opinion and influence policy. A series of psychological experiments demonstrate that celebrities can persuade people to accept their policy positions, even on national security issues.
Harvey’s analysis of news sources reveals that when celebrities speak about issues of public importance, they get disproportionately more coverage than politicians. Further, his reading of surveys tells us that people find politicians no more or less credible than celebrities—except politicians from the opposing party, who are judged less credible. At a time when the distinctions between politicians and celebrities are increasingly blurred, the insights into celebrity influence presented in this volume are as relevant as they are compelling.
“Celebrity politicians and politicized celebrities have had a vital impact upon politics within the first two decades of the 21st century. Mark Harvey’s important new book provides a theoretically informed and empirically grounded account of this phenomenon. His qualitative and quantitative analysis concerning the political effects of celebrity engagement is especially welcome due to it terrific level of detail. Moreover, Harvey’s insightful account is particularly prescient in the light of the ultimate celebrity politician Donald Trump’s ascendency to the office of the Presidency of the United States.”
—Mark Wheeler, Professor of Political Communications London Metropolitan University
“In Celebrity Influence Mark Harvey makes a persuasive case for the power of celebrities to shape the national conversation. Harvey offers a detailed and historically rich context through which to understand how entertainers and athletes channel their fame and credibility with audiences into political action. In an era when show business and politics have become increasingly intertwined, Harvey presents a timely analysis of an underappreciated topic.”
—Alan Schroeder, author of Presidential Debates: Risky Business on the Campaign Trail
University Press of Kansas, 2017
The NFL protests are only one of many celebrity-fueled political controversies during the Trump p... more The NFL protests are only one of many celebrity-fueled political controversies during the Trump presidency. Why is there such a proliferation of celebrity activism? More importantly, does it amount to anything? What does our knowledge of celebrity influence tell us about the recent NFL controversy?
Musicology Australia, 2016
The album as an art form emerged in the mid-1960s, in part because rock musicians demanded greate... more The album as an art form emerged in the mid-1960s, in part because rock musicians demanded greater studio autonomy from record companies. However, an underexplored factor contributing to the emergence of the art rock album is how record companies began to market their ‘stars’ as ‘artists’ as a means to sell more records. This article focuses upon how Capitol Records capitalized upon the artistry of the Beatles and the Beach Boys to change the norms of the industry, leading to the increased marketability of the album as a coherent work of art.
Business History, 2016
This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 f... more This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 forced the recording industry to rethink their marketing strategies. The industry’s focus on weak unit strategies and capitalisation on the emergent artistic aesthetic are evaluated. To establish correlations between strategies and the popularity of singles and albums between 1955 and 1979, OLS models were generated using large datasets on chart performance of albums and singles. This study concludes that the industry tended toward sub-optimal, risk-averse strategies, and that the LP likely succeeded despite record companies’ efforts to control their products and messaging.
Leavenworth Times, 2016
Are Super Bowl Advertisements a Waste of Money? By Mark Harvey This Sunday will mark one of the... more Are Super Bowl Advertisements a Waste of Money?
By Mark Harvey
This Sunday will mark one of the most exciting days for television entertainment of the year. Popular R&B singer Drake will humorously deconstruct his popular “Hotline Bling” song and video. Seth Rogen and Amy Schumer will campaign on behalf of a fake political party. A touring group of space aliens will reflect on the history and culture of earth by revisiting the Rubik’s cube—and Scott Baio. And dozens of dachshunds dressed like hot dogs will scurry across an open plain toward a group of people dressed like condiments. During the breaks in this top-notch entertainment line-up, you will be treated to a football game.
Indeed, many who do not know (or care) who is playing in Super Bowl 50 will still tune into CBS—just to watch those commercials. Advertisers will fork out an average of 4.8 million dollars for a 30-second slot, not counting the cost of producing these engaging mini-dramas. The reason for the expense is obvious: companies compete for the attention of an estimated 117 million people.
Clearly, these companies can afford it. But is it worth it? A brief examination of the evidence offers a surprising answer: maybe not.
Consider answers to these seemingly obvious questions:
1. Will Super Bowl advertisements increase the likelihood that consumers will buy a product? Not necessarily. According to a study by the advertising firm Communicus, eighty percent of Super Bowl ads do not work at all, and sixty percent do not increase the likelihood that consumers would purchase the advertised product, even when the ads were aired for over four weeks past the game. According to these numbers, an investment in that thirty-second time slot yields a 20-40% chance of success.
2. Do memorable ads improve sales? No. A 2000 EDS commercial, which features cowboys herding cats, was one of the most famous Super Bowl ads of all time. Unfortunately, after the game, nobody could remember the company’s name, or precisely what it sold. Moreover, for all of the ads we remember, hundreds more are quickly forgotten.
3. Do celebrities make a difference? It depends. Making a successful celebrity campaign is not as easy as putting Harvey Keitel in a fancy car, or putting Christopher Walken in a closet as he compares people to colored socks, as the case may be this year. If the celebrity is a mismatch for the product, the result can be disastrous. For example, researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder demonstrated that Jessica Simpson can sell perfume, but not pocket knives. In addition, celebrities may increase attention and brand recognition, but generally do not increase a consumer’s intent to buy.
4. Does advertising during the Super Bowl give a company an advantage over its competitors? Not if you’re selling drinks. A Stanford study reveals that soda and beer companies may not profit if their rivals also advertise during the Super Bowl. Thus, if Coke and Pepsi both post ads in those expensive slots, they may increase the amount of pop that a household may purchase, but neither brand will earn “profit gain to offset their advertising investment.” In short, if Coke advertises and Pepsi does not, Coke wins. Thus, both companies feel compelled to buy advertisements to prevent the other company from gaining an advantage, and CBS rakes in the profits.
The business of advertisement is, in many cases, as much art as science. The Super Bowl gives companies a massive and captive audience. Companies hope for a bump in sales, and buzz around the watercooler. These ads may generate positive feelings about a brand over a longer term, an effect that is difficult to measure. However, we are no more certain about which ads will help a company’s revenue than we know who will win the big game.
Whether companies profit or not, it is quite possible that the commercials may be more exciting than the game or who wins it. To that end, perhaps you are the real winner on Sunday.
Proceedings from the 57th Adult Education Research Conference. , 2016
This study explored the effectiveness of a structured group project planning process on percepti... more This study explored the effectiveness of a structured group project planning process
on perceptions of accountability, communication, satisfaction, and attitudes about group projects
with adult learners (N = 66). Results indicated the structured planning process had little impact
on adult learners’ attitudes about group projects and highlighted the power of prior group
experiences in impacting future attitudes about group projects.
Business History
This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 f... more This article investigates how the standardisation of the 45 RPM single and 33 RPM album in 1951 forced the recording industry to rethink their marketing strategies. The industry’s focus on weak unit strategies and capitalisation on the emergent artistic aesthetic are evaluated. To establish correlations between strategies and the popularity of singles and albums between 1955 and 1979, OLS models were generated using large datasets on chart performance of albums and singles. This study concludes that the industry tended toward sub-optimal, risk-averse strategies, and that the LP likely succeeded despite record companies’ efforts to control their products and messaging.