LEBRON IS STILL KING WHEN ENDORSEMENT MATTERS, ACCORDING TO SETON HALL SPORTS POLL
James Has Edge Over Curry Among Consumers
Retired Manning, Somewhat Deflated Brady Top Football Endorsers
South Orange, NJ, September 27, 2016 — LeBron James is more likely than Steph Curry to influence a purchasing decision by American consumers according to a national poll conducted last week by the Seton Hall Sports Poll.
The poll was conducted this week among 875 adults on both landlines and cellphones across the nation. (There is a margin of error of +/- 3.4%).
When asked which player is more likely “to sway your purchase decision on something he endorses”, 26% selected James and 19% selected Curry, with 40% choosing neither, and 16% declaring “don’t know.”
“Curry got enormous attention last year, but James did win the championship, and he’s been on the scene a lot longer” said Rick Gentile, director of the Poll, which is sponsored by The Sharkey Institute. “We will be watching to see if this turns over the next season.”
When confronted with marquee names from the NFL, and asked if their endorsement would sway a purchase decision, the retired Peyton Manning scored highest among those listed, with 31% saying “yes” to his name. Tom Brady, currently serving a four-game suspension for “Deflategate,” ranked second with 21%. Others listed were Aaron Rodgers (17%), Cam Newton (16%), JJ Watt (15%) and Odell Beckham Jr. (13%).
Manning was the only player where women rated him as high as men; they were much less impressed by the others. Manning in fact had 32% “yes” among women, 31% among men. Brady was 19% yes among women, 23% among men. Rogers received only 9% “yes” from women, 25% “yes” from men.
Advertisers will likely note that younger people are more likely to be swayed by an endorsement. It was most apparent among those giving the answer “neither,” with 26% of 18-29 years old saying “neither” while 40% of those 30-44, 43% of those 45-60 and 46% of those over 60 did.
Rick Gentile was interviewed by Seth Everett for a podcast on the poll’s findings. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/seton-hall-sports-poll/id1053266467?mt=2#episodeGuid=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogtalkradio.com%2Fsetonhallsportspoll%2F2016%2F09%2F23%2Fseason-2-september-2016-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-controvery
ABOUT SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
One of the country’s leading Catholic universities, Seton Hall University has been a catalyst for leadership — developing students in mind, heart and spirit — since 1856. Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students and offering more than 90 academic programs, Seton Hall’s academic excellence has been singled out for distinction by The Princeton Review, U.S.News & World Report and Bloomberg Businessweek.
Seton Hall, which embraces students of all religions, prepares its graduates to be exemplary servant leaders and global citizens. Its attractive main campus is located in suburban South Orange, New Jersey, and is only 14 miles by train, bus or car from New York City, offering a wealth of employment, internship, cultural and entertainment opportunities. The university’s nationally recognized School of Law is prominently located in downtown Newark.
For more information, visit www.shu.edu.
About the poll:
This poll was conducted by telephone September 19-21 among 875 adults in the United States. The Seton Hall Sports Poll is conducted by the Sharkey Institute.
Phone numbers were dialed from samples of both standard landline and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus 3.4 percentage points. The error for subgroups may be higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been conducted regularly since 2006.
Media: Media: Marty Appel Public Relations (212) 245-1772, AppelPR@gmail.com; Rick Gentile (917) 881-9489.
The results:
1. Which basketball player is more likely to sway your purchase decision on something he endorses, Steph Curry or LeBron James?
Curry 19
James 26
Neither 40
Don’t know 16
2. I am going to read you the names of some current and former NFL players. Tell me if their endorsement would sway your purchase decision:
Cam Newton
Yes 16
No 64
Don’t know 20
Peyton Manning
Yes 31
No 56
Don’t know 13
Tom Brady
Yes 21
No 65
Don’t know 15
Aaron Rodgers
Yes 17
No 61
Don’t know 22
JJ Watt
Yes 15
No 62
Don’t know 23
Odell Beckham, Jr.
Yes 13
No 65
Don’t know 22