This summer the NBA was abuzz with speculation regarding where LeBron would decide to take his talent.  In dramatic fashion LeBron choose to announce his destination is a one-hour  show acutely titled “The Decision” where he chose the Miami Heat as his new hoops home with fellow all stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.  The self indulgence shown in “The Decision” drew ire and strong criticism from the public.   E-Poll Market Research found that   public sentiment towards LeBron James and fellow free agent Chris Bosh is down markedly, while attitudes towards Dwyane Wade are more favorable.

E-Poll’s E-Score® survey measured awareness, appeal and perceptions of the Miami Heat trio along numerous personality attributes.  In addition to a plunge in appeal rating from 47 to 29 points, James’ ratings for such attributes as “Confident,” “Exciting,” “Good Energy,” and “Talented” were all down significantly, while negative attributes such as “Cold,” “Insincere” and “Over-Exposed” showed big increases.  See table for additional details.

In contrast to James, Wade’s appeal score rose from 51 to 55 points, and he saw increases in his attribute scores for “Confident,” “Exciting” and “Talented.”  Chris Bosh experienced declines in appeal as well as most of his attribute scores.

With a summer scarred with lockouts and labor negotiations behind us, it’s finally time for some football.

With tonight’s Packers and Saints game kicking off a much-awaited season, we used the Nielsen/E-Poll N-Score to compile a list of the NFL’s most Exciting players.

A subscription to the Nielsen / E-Poll N-Score makes available detailed information including awareness, appeal and 46 attributes on more than 1,000 athletes, coaches, broadcasters and other sports personalities, on both a national basis and in 30 local markets.

With Ben Affleck soon to be the newest Dark Crusader, we decided to take another look at our Batman index and see where Affleck ranks against previous Batmen.

Using both E-Score Celebrity and E-Score Character we calculated an index based on Batman’s E-Score Character attribute scores and ranked which actor comes closest.

With Halloween just a few weeks away and as people across the country get ready for the scariest day of the year, a recent survey reveals Marilyn Manson as the creepiest celebrity of 2013. The survey was conducted by E-Score^®, a leading consumer research service that provides information to media and entertainment companies.

Did we forget anyone? Comment below and let us know any creepy celebrity that we forgot — or just tell us how much someone on our lists creeps you out.

The creepiest celebrities in the country for 2013, in order of creepiness:

With the 2014 NFL season now here, the American public has already given its feelings about the starting quarterbacks for each team. According to our recent E-Score consumer survey, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Eli Manning have the highest level of awareness and are the most well-liked of all 32 starting quarterbacks.

“There is a delicate balance between awareness and the positive and negative attributes associated with each player based on overall perception,” said Gerry Philpott, president of E-Poll Market Research.“While solid numbers on the field helps, it takes more than just playing ability to achieve a high E-Score when trying to win over the American public.”

In the “next man up” category, our survey also included E-Scores for rookie quarterbacks hoping to get their first starting job, including Blake Bortles (58), Teddy Bridgewater (39) and Johnny Manziel (22).

An E-Score can range from 0 to 100 and is based on a survey that formulates a rating of that person’s awareness and appeal, as well as positive and negative measures.  The ongoing national survey of over 8,000 celebrities is conducted among 1,100 persons ages 13+ with general representation across income, age, education and geographic demographics to represent a cross-section of the U.S. population.

*Celebrities included have an awareness of 15% or higher and were fielded between January 1, 2014 and January 17, 2015

A new national survey from E-Poll Market Research measures perceptions of the current Presidential candidates among members of each political party along 46 personality and behavioral attributes. Among Democrats, results show Clinton and Sanders splitting the ballot on many attributes, with Clinton owning the traits most associated with statesmanship (Experienced, Influential and Confident) while Sanders wins on attributes associated with likeability (Sincere and Trustworthy).

Among Republicans, Trump is perceived as most Confident and Influential. Carson is the anti-Trump, perceived as the most Appealing, Intelligent, Sincere and Trustworthy. Rubio is noted as most Articulate, while Kasich is most Experienced. Cruz does not  lead in any of the presidential attributes.

Evolving Perception of Clinton

Since her last presidential campaign in 2008, Clinton has increased her appeal, especially among women, and held very strong or grown in the presidential attributes including Experienced, Influential and Confident. Since 2008 she is considered less Sincere and Trustworthy by Democrats, and particularly male Democrats.

2016 Presidential Candidates: Perceptions Among Democrats

                Source: E-Score

                    Source: E-Score

2016 Presidential Candidates: Perceptions Among Republicans

Source: E-Score

Methodology:

E-Score surveys conducted among 1,000 persons aged 18+with general representation across income, age, education and geographic demographics to represent a cross-section of the U.S. population. 2016 Surveys conducted February 5, 2016. 2008 Survey conducted June 9, 2008. All numerical figures except E-Score represent % of respondents.

About E-Score:

E-Score has been the leader in personality ratings for more than 15 years, and tracks public opinion on more than 9,000 entertainers, athletes, politicians and newsmakers. E-Score is a product of E-Poll Market Research, a full-service consumer research company. More information is available at www.epollresearch.com

Some rise to super-stardom very quickly, while other celebrities take longer to ascend. Either way they all start somewhere. We looked at the current crop of young celebrities and came up with a list of bright stars on the rise. The Up & Comers list includes celebrities that have lower than average awareness, but strong appeal among those aware of them, suggesting that as their fan base grows in the future, so will their E-Score.

Taking the top spot on the list is Lauren Cohan. After years on the small screen in the series The Walking Dead, Lauren is set to star in “The Boy”, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and the Tupac Shakur bio-pic, “All Eyez on Me” in 2016. The Walking Dead makes a second appearance as Danai Gurira holds on to the last spot on our list. Gurira plays Michonne on The Walking Dead and is also set to star alongside Ms. Cohan again in the Tupac Shakur bio-pic. It will be interesting to see if this dynamic duo works on other projects in the future.

Television seems to be getting the “dynamic-duo” treatment as a popular trend has emerged: the Superhero TV series. Stars of DC Comics shows take three spots on the Up & Comers list with Melissa Benoist, Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin leading the way in Supergirl, Arrow, and The Flash respectively. Each show is finding their own set of Super-fans. However, you can’t talk super-fans without talking about sports.

Athletes are some of the biggest celebrities today and make up a quarter of this list. Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan top the our up and coming athletes, using the U.S. Women’s Soccer team’s 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup win to springboard into the top ten. NBA stars Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green round out the athletes taking spots 17-19 on our list. Athletes have the ability to move from up and comer to bona fide star quickly so we don’t expect to see them on this list too much longer.

Whether or not these become household names in the coming months and years, each of the celebrities on our list has shown the potential to be a star with their fans. Will they get the opportunity to prove they are more than up and comers in the future? As they continue to increase their fan bases, it will be interesting to see how their appeal is affected by increased exposure and awareness. We can only wait and see how these stars’ E-Scores change in the next year.

Related Stories

Stars Finding Success in the Stream

2016 E-Score Celebrity Special Report

The 2016 Most Appealing African-American Celebrities list is comprised of notable returning stars, and several interesting newcomers. Comparing this year’s to last year’s list, several celebrities experienced marked changes.

Shemar Moore (#3 on the list) has shown a steady increase in both his Appeal and E-Score over the last 5 years, resulting in his move up to third place on this year’s list. Moore is among those celebrities who have a large disparity between awareness of their image vs. their name with 20% saying they know him by name and over twice as many (43%) recognizing his image.  Women are even more likely to say they know Moore based on his image, at 48%.

Another celebrity to enjoy an increase over last year’s list is Taraji P. Henson (#8). With the airing of Empire, several movie releases and winning Hollywood awards, Henson’s  E-Score has increased by 9 points to her current score of 92.  Her Awareness has nearly doubled as well.

Experiencing a similar rise in Awareness is Idris Elba (#6), as his level was not high enough to make last year’s list. His Awareness increase from 14% to 21% coincides with winning two SAG awards and starring in several highly anticipated movies. Also, his high Appeal among both men and women has proven beneficial to his marketing value.

A second newcomer to the list by way of increased Awareness is Keegan-Michael Key (#10). The Key and Peele star experienced a 7% increase over last year and brings humor to our list, with a Funny rating that’s 52 points above the average for most celebrities. Consumer comments describe him as “Hilarious” and “Entertaining.”

Will these new additions and veterans of the Most Appealing African Americans list be able to replicate their Appeal  this year and make our 2017 list? We’ll be watching closely.

Fueled by increases in Awareness and Appeal, Under Armour (UA) has experienced rapid growth in the apparel and footwear market. New data from E-Score Brand shows a 15 point increase in awareness over the past four years. That coupled with the ability to spot MVP caliber athletes before they reach that plateau has propelled Under Armour’s sales and driven the company into the #2 spot in the U.S. sportswear industry, recently overtaking Adidas.

Under Armour has been able to sign some of the biggest young stars in sports to endorsement deals before they became superstars. From Cam Newton (NFL), Steph Curry (NBA 2x), and Bryce Harper (MLB – NL) to Jordan Spieth (PGA), Canelo Alvarez (Boxing), and Carey Price (NHL); the eye for talent at UA is phenomenal as their roster includes the MVP/ POY/ Champion of every major sport last year.

Although Under Armour is not as well known as some brands that have been around longer, they are building what may become the most appealing brand. With an Awareness of 46% among sports fans (44% among the general population), UA comes in 4th among sports apparel companies, behind long established incumbents like Nike (76%), Adidas (68%), and Puma (52%). However their Appeal at 49% among sports fans ranks 2nd to only Nike at 56%. The rise in Awareness and Appeal may have helped to convince a slew of young talented athletes to endorse Under Armour, or maybe it’s the other way around.

What else is fueling Under Armour

• Ranks #1 for Would try Brand’s New Products/Services (46%) Nike (45%) Adidas (31%) & Puma (26%)
• Ranks #1 for Brand Consideration – 14% of non-users say they “Definitely & Probably” will purchase vs. Nike (8%), Adidas (7%), Puma (6%)
• Ranks #2 for Better than competitors (36%) Nike #1 (37%) Adidas (22%) & Puma (14%)
• Ranks #2 for Would recommend to family and friends (37%) Nike #1 (40%) Adidas (26%) & Puma (20%)

With the political convention season upon us E-Poll® looked at which celebrities Democrats and Republicans find most appealing. Interestingly we noticed several similarities between the stars on this list and the “Top 10 ‘Favorite’ Shows Among Democrats and Republicans.”

In many ways the lists are mirrors of each other:

• The favorite celebrities list for Democrats is ethnically more diverse and edgier, similar to their favorite programs list.
• The Republican favorite celebrities list is full of family friendly celebs and is loaded with actors who play “law-and-order” roles.

Favorite Celebrities Among Democrats

Data source: E-Score Celebrity. List fielded among respondents 18+ and who indicated Democrat as their political party affiliation.

Favorite Celebrities Among Republicans

Data source: E-Score Celebrity. List fielded among respondents 18+ and who indicated Republican as their political party affiliation.

Democrats

Several of the celebrities on the Democrat list also star in some of their favorite shows. Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Kit Harington (Game of Thrones), and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead) all star in programs that appear on our favorite shows list.

Celebrities like comedian and political commentator John Oliver provide an edge to the Democratic list. Additionally, at #12, Jesse Williams has been a lightning rod since his speech at the 2016 BET Awards. With polarizing comments from E-Poll panelists, Williams’ may be the edgiest celebrity to make this list.

One of the favorite celebrities among Democrats, Chris Evans, plays Captain America, and in real life he is the nephew of Democrat Congressman Michael Capuano. He has talked about a possible political pursuit some day.

Republicans

The Republican side of the list has a law-and-order feel.  Celebrities like Clint Eastwood, Sam Elliot, Harrison Ford, and Sean Connery have starred in their share of “good guys of justice” roles. Interestingly enough, Harrison Ford plays roles that are well received by Republicans even though he is a life-long Democrat, implying his on-screen personas may be strong enough to override the real life behavior for Republicans.

An interesting note about the Republican list is with the exception of David McCallum and Pauley Perrette, who both star in NCIS, no other celebrity from the top 20 stars in a favorite show among Republicans.

Bipartisanship

Several celebrities enjoy cross-over appeal between the parties. One such celebrity, Pauley Perrette, has become a favorite among both parties. She was able to cross party lines as she called attention to the critical need for mental health services for the homeless in our country after her recent attack. Another cross-party celeb, Denzel Washington, is loved by both Democrats (#4) and Republicans (#14). He fits the bipartisan narrative as he has yet to endorse a candidate for the 2016 presidency saying, “We just need to know more.” This after voting for President Obama in the last elections.

Takeaway

Party politics separate more than just political views. They also impact which celebrities appeal to which group. Similar to the party makeup, Democrats prefer very diverse celebrities when talking about their most appealing. Conversely, Republicans prefer similarities in their favorite celebrities evidenced by half their list being actors/ actresses who have played characters who serve on the right side of the law.

With E-Score products you will know exactly how people within your target audience feel about potential endorsers (Celebrity and Character), ad placements (Programs), collaborations (Brand) and more.

In recent years we have seen a significant uptick in activism in our country. Lead largely by Millennials and a resurgence of students getting involved in grassroots movements supporting multiple, and varied, causes. There has also been the return of the “Influential Activist” among athletes. With that in mind we took a look at which athletes Millennials believe are combining their influence with activism for the “Top Influential Activist Athletes” list.

Whether in support of LGBT rights, Black Lives Matter, or Water For Flint, athletes have stepped up to lend their platforms and influence to causes that are far reaching and diverse.

Top Influential Activist Athletes

Data source: E-Score® Celebrity. Fielded among respondents born between 1981-2000. Rankings based on combination of Influence and Activist scores.

Leaders of Social Change

Considered to be the most “Influential Activist” by Millennials, Abby Wambach has an Activist score that is over six times higher than the average athlete, and has leant her influence to several causes including closing the gender pay gap.

Another highly outspoken athlete is making significant strides in calling out gender inequality is Venus Williams. E-Poll® respondents call her “Inspiring.” She has used her 92% Appeal (people who like her at least somewhat) to bring greater attention to equal treatment for women even beyond just pay.

On the men’s side, not surprisingly, especially after his part in the opening of the 2016 Espys, Lebron James appears on our list. Being widely considered the best basketball player in the world, and being twice as Influential as the average athlete among Millennials, has given Lebron an enormous platform to advocate for causes close to his heart. He has spoken out about gun control, Black Lives Matter and more, and has also setup programs to send kids to college.

Michael Jordan The Activist

Although not a current athlete, Michael Jordan is the second most influential athlete (current or former) among Millennials, but has been largely silent on social issues. In fact, Jordan’s Influential score is 3.5 times higher than the average athlete, but he has an activist score of just 2%. However, with the recent news of his $1,000,000 donations to both the Institute for Community-Police Relations and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he is looking to change that perception.

Takeaway

Millennials show a strong affinity toward authenticity. While they may not agree with every stance an athlete makes, they can at least appreciate the authenticity in expressing your views. The level to which an athlete uses their influence to advocate is a factor in whom Millennials connect with.

The NFL season is ready to kickoff and that means player merchandise will be flying off the shelves. Each year the NFL Players Association releases their Top 50 Player Sales Year-End List which charts the top performing NFL players based on merchandise sales. We took the list a step further by combining it with NFL fan specific data from E-Score® Celebrity.

The Watch List

Although football fans are aware of most of the players on this list, several of the top performing players in merchandise sales have fairly low Awareness among the general public. Players like Russell Wilson, Odell Beckham Jr., and J.J. Watt have good Appeal scores, but suffer from a lack of Awareness among the general public. This represents an opportunity for the players and their partners, especially if they can replicate the sentiments of NFL fans among the general public. NFL fans call J.J. Watt, “A nice role model”, and Russell Wilson is a “Good person”, while Odell Beckham Jr. is considered “Cool”. If they can continue to increase their exposure to national audiences, we can expect their positions on this list to improve. High Appeal coupled with low Awareness among the general public makes these players ones to watch this upcoming season in merchandise sales as the game becomes more popular.

“How ‘Bout Them Cowboys”

The Dallas Cowboys as “America’s Team” is a debatable subject. However, the Cowboys as one of the most popular NFL franchises is not. With 50% Awareness among the general population, according to E-Score Brand, Dallas is one of the most recognizable franchises in professional sports and dominates the region media wise. Add to that an Appeal, among NFL fans, that is six points higher than the average sports team, and it’s easy to see how being on the Cowboys can help expose a player to a large fan base. The Cowboys’ high Awareness, and higher than average Appeal, helped catapult two players into the top 10 in merchandise sales. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten both have low Awareness scores, but are aided by the popularity and exposure of the Dallas Cowboys brand.

Takeaway

While some players may see an increase in merchandise sales due to their increasing Awareness and Appeal, others can get help from outside forces. The regional popularity of NFL teams like the Dallas Cowboys provides a boost to lesser-known players and can help increase merchandise sales.

E-Score products and attributes help make sense of, and add value to the research that effects your bottom line. And E-Score’s extensive targeting capabilities lets you identify and understand the demographics that are important to you, whether it’s avid or casual NFL fans, geographic region or any of hundreds of other criteria.

Faith-Based Audiences: Also this year, E-Poll measured the appeal of celebrities among people who regularly attend services for their faith.  Among this “faith-based” audience, Sandra Bullock was the most popular film actor, “Like(d) a Lot” by 51% of respondents.  Also popular with faith based audiences were Sean Connery, Jim Caviezel and Amy Adams.

Among TV actors, Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds) took the top spot. Her Criminal Minds co-star, Shemar Moore, and NCIS’ Sean Murray were also in the top ten.

Up-and-Comers: The “Up-and-Comers” category tracks celebrities who may be ready to experience a break out.  It measures the highest appeal  among celebrities with less than 15% total awareness.  Breakout YouTube sensation Jenna Marbles heads this list.  48% of those aware of Marbles say they “Like (her) a lot.” Number two on the “Up-and-Comers” list is Jon Stewart’s summer fill-in, John Oliver.  Also on the list are TV actors Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Donald Glover (Community).

Betty White, who once again tops the list as the most Appealing celebrity in 2012, is the star of TV Land’s comedy, Hot in Cleveland and NBC’s reality comedy, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.  In 2012 White won a SAG Award for best female actor in a comedy series, endorsed President Barack Obama, and spoke at the Democratic National Convention.  

Many of the top 5  celebrities  have remained the same, with a few new additions to this year’s list.  New to the list, Adele, at #8, released her second album and received 6 Grammy Awards in 2012 including Album of the Year. She also welcomed her new son later in the year.

Liam Neeson was also busy in 2012, appearing in five movies including the box office hit, Taken 2, which recently topped the DVD sales charts.

Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas and Missy Franklin took on the world in the 2012 Olympics in London winning big for the USA. Douglas (gymnast) is the first American to win gold in both the all-around and team competitions. Franklin (swimmer) won four gold medals and was named the American Swimmer of the Year.

Celebrities with lower than average Awareness but high Appeal include Maggie Smith (#10), star of PBS’ Downton Abbey, and comedian Kevin Hart (#15) who starred in the 2012 box office hit, Think Like a Man.

E-Poll^® has gone international! Our newest product, E-Score^® Celebrity International allows you to gain access to rich insights on a broad spectrum of celebrities in key international markets. Now you can know exactly what these international markets think of current/ potential talent.

We polled residents in China, the UK, and Brazil, in addition to our extensive US database, about celebrities based on more than 40 attributes. Here’s what we found:

Influential Celebrities

The most Influential celebrities come from varied backgrounds – it’s not intuitive. E-Score Celebrity International data validates who are the most influential celebs in general, and comparatively.

The top 10 list for the most influential celebrities overall is split right down the middle when it comes to men and women. Five men occupy the first 5 spots, led by Tom Hanks who is the most Influential celebrity on the international scene. In fact, he takes the number one spot in all four countries. The next five spots on our list are all occupied by women (Jennifer Lawrence and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are tied for 10^th.)

When we looked at China in particular, the most influential list changes significantly as 90% of the top 10 list are men, with Taylor Swift being the lone woman.

Of all the surveyed markets, Brazil is the most favorable to celebrities in terms of their influence. Every celebrity saw an increase in their Influential score in Brazil, suggesting that Brazilians are more easily influenced by celebrity endorsements.

International Trend-Setters

In stark contrast to the Influential list, the Trend-Setter attribute is dominated by women in music at the top. When looking to push the boundaries and stay on the cutting edge, female musicians are your best options.

The top 5 in this list are all trend setting fashionistas, as each appears in the top 10 of our Stylish list as well (see below). What is interesting is that 4 of the 5 have been very outspoken about several social issues, making them “trend-setters” in multiple arenas.

The lists have a similar feel to each other for most of the countries, with Beyoncé or Taylor Swift taking the top spot, followed by several other singers, athletes, actors and “New Hollywood” actresses. The exception is Brazil where “Old Hollywood” dominates the top 10 with Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hanks, and George Clooney taking the top 3 spots in that order. If you’re looking to gain traction in Brazil, an established Hollywood star appears to be the way to go.

If the goal is to be ahead of the pack in the US or UK, Adele and Beyoncé are considered the biggest trend setters, tying for first on the list in both of those countries. Interestingly, Adele’s Trend-Setter score is higher in the US than her native UK.

Over-Exposed to the World

The threat of over-exposure is very real in global markets just like in the US. With the proliferation of social media, it is much easier for people to keep up with every facet of a celebrity’s life. Several stars are experiencing over-exposure on the international scene. Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Cristiano Ronaldo are far more exposed than other celebrities internationally. Whereas these four celebs have Over-Exposed scores in the 20 percentile in multiple international markets, no other person is above 15%.

When looking for a fresh face to pair with your brand or campaign, consider searching for a celebrity in our database with an Over-Exposed attribute score below 5%.

With a positive Appeal rating, average Awareness, and a very low Over-Exposed rating, Idris Elba is a person that can bring a recognizable, but fresh face to a brand or campaign. He has the greatest potential to grow in popularity across all countries.

On the other hand, Miley Cyrus is considered the most over-exposed celebrity in the US, UK, and Brazil. However, in China she is not over-exposed at all. In fact, China is an emerging market for celebrity endorsements as all celebrities have low Over-Exposed scores.

Brazil is an interesting case. Their Over-Exposed ratings are higher than the Total average for all celebrities except four. When we look at individual celebs, it’s interesting that Taylor Swift is considered significantly less over-exposed in Brazil versus the US or UK. In contrast Tom Hanks is slightly more over-exposed in Brazil than any other country.

Other Notable Findings

Total Name/ Image Awareness

• China respondents have lower Awareness of celebrities overall, with significantly lower Awareness of most celebrities compared to those who live in other countries. Leonardo DiCaprio and Cristiano Ronaldo lead other celebrities for awareness in China.

• Across all countries, Leonardo DiCaprio has the highest Awareness. Interestingly, Leonardo DiCaprio’s awareness is highest in Brazil, and is significantly higher in Brazil compared to the US, UK, or China.

• Awareness of Tom Hanks and George Clooney is significantly higher in the UK compared to other countries (including the US).

• Michael Phelps’ Awareness score among Brazilians follows closely behind awareness of Phelps in the US, with more than 4 in 10 respondents who are familiar with him.

Appeal – Like A Lot

• China respondents rate most celebrities significantly lower for Appeal (Like a Lot) compared to respondents in other countries.

• Overall, Tom Hanks, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Adele, Hugh Jackman, Robert Downey Jr., and Leonardo DiCaprio lead other celebrities for ratings of appeal. The Like a Lot rating for Robert Downey Jr. is elevated significantly among respondents from Brazil compared to other countries (40%, vs. a range of 19% to 31%).

• Compared to respondents in other countries, Appeal ratings of are elevated among respondents in Brazil for Adele, Hugh Jackman, and Robert Downey Jr.

• Miley Cyrus, Michael Phelps, and Gwyneth Paltrow received the lowest ratings for Like a Lot across all countries.

Trustworthy

• The perception that celebrities are Trustworthy is low overall for almost all celebrities. Compared to other celebrities, Tom Hanks receives top ratings for Trustworthy.

• Celebrities who were least likely to be considered Trustworthy include Miley Cyrus, Michael Phelps, and Taylor Swift.

• The perception of Michael Phelps being Trustworthy is lowest in the U.S. but is highest among Brazilians.

Stylish

• Overall, top celebrities most frequently perceived as being Stylish include Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, and Jennifer Lawrence.

• The perception of Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Charlize Theron, and Jennifer Lawrence being Stylish is elevated somewhat among US and Brazil respondents compared to those who live in China or the UK.

• Celebrities with lowest perceptions of being Stylish include Michael Phelps, followed by LeBron James, and Tom Hanks.

Attractive

• From country to country, top celebrities for attractiveness include Jenifer Lopez, followed closely by Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, and Beyoncé.

• Among Brazilians, ratings of Attractive for Jennifer Lopez and Charlize Theron are very high, and are significantly higher compared to those in other countries.

• Ratings of Attractive for George Clooney are significantly higher among Brazilians compared to those in other countries.

Takeaway

E-Score Celebrity International is the comprehensive tool for researching international sentiments about celebrities. Why limit your evaluation to six or seven attributes, and a potentially brief, short-sighted list? Our more than 40 attributes provide a full picture of international attitudes and opinions of your spokespeople.

Methodology

An online survey was administered in four different countries (US, UK, China, and Brazil).  The same 25 celebrities were evaluated among respondents in each country. 800 respondents ages 13+ within each country received the survey. Half received name only, while the other half received only an image prompt.

Fist Pump TV

The cable landscape is increasingly filled with reality shows, with Jersey Shore setting ratings records and entire programs dedicated to the behavior of categories such as housewives, pawn shops and teen moms.  In addition, new shows have been announced for reality veterans Paris Hilton, Lauren Conrad and “Pauly D” Delvecchio.

With outrageous personalities and salacious situations, some of cable TV’s most popular reality shows rely on a set of characteristics that stand apart from most of their cable brethren – a sub-genre that might be called “Fist Pump TV.”

Reality Show Scorecard

Using Program Pulse Cable we looked at some recently aired reality shows: Jersey Shore, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives of New Jersey and Bad Girls Club.  Each of the four shows share common characteristics when compared to Cable TV average scores.  These programs produced success following a combination of above average Funny, Sexy, and Predictable scores and low Intelligent and Informative scores.

In addition, the celebrities featured in these shows also share some less than admirable E-Scores.  Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi each brandish E-Scores below 10, while Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ sisters Khloe and Kim both sport below average E-Scores.

In contrast, scripted programs like the new $#*! My Dad Says starring William Shatner, whose E-Score is 96, and Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck (E-Score of 98) have gotten off to good starts in the current TV season at least partly based on the strength of their highly marketable stars.  Relying as they do on being funny, sexy and entertaining, the Fist Pump TV reality group can succeed despite lacking highly appealing stars.

Shows that follow the “celeb-reality” path may not require celebrities with high E-Scores and may even be assisted by stars with low E-Scores that might create more curiosity for sampling.  So while Paris Hilton’s E-Score registers an abysmal 5, there may still be a path to success for her new show by dialing up the sex and humor, and avoiding informative or challenging situations.

Program Pulse Cable has the ability to look beyond ratings into viewer motivations and measure which attributes viewers associate with a show. Program Pulse also combines with E-Score Celebrity to determine connections between program and star.

For 50 years now, the iconic characters of Star Trek have beamed into our lives. A half-century on, E-Score^® Character data shows the franchise’s characters are seeing a trend of increased Appeal among the general population, and desire for Trek branded consumer goods. By the end of 2016 the original characters will have seen another movie and the brand will receive a reboot on the small screen as well.

• Interest in the original, classic, character roles has ignited since the launch of the Star Trek movie franchise reboot in 2009.
• The Appeal of Star Trek characters Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock have increased steadily since the 2009 film, with both characters gaining more than 10 points in Appeal.
• Growing Appeal has led to increased consumer desire for products based on these characters, and extension into other media. We found that Lieutenant Uhura is the classic character people most want to see in a TV show, with 62% of E-Poll members expressing interest. This supports the viability of the upcoming new series focusing on a female lead.

Series Launches Characters Into Stars, and Actors Into Stardom

Star Trek has been responsible for launching many actors into stardom. From original stars like William Shatner to seasoned thespians like Patrick Stewart, the franchise has consistently delivered on the ability to find and expose star-level talent for 50 years. Especially among fans of the science-fiction genre, these actors have achieved major stardom. With an as-yet-undisclosed cast for the new series set to launch in 2017, will the brand be able to continue its star making appeal?

• Original Star Trek stars like Shatner, Leonard Nimoy (prior to his death), and George Takei rode the wave of fame provided by the show for 50 years, still enjoying high E-Scores as a result.
• Later iterations of the franchise have proven to maintain the star making quality as Chris Pine received a major boost to his career after starring as the captain of the Enterprise. Pine has seen his Awareness nearly triple among the general public since becoming James T. Kirk in 2009. Additionally, over a third of all science fiction TV show fans have become aware of him since that time.
• The captain’s seat is a great place to be for Star Trek actors. Current or former Enterprise captains have 3 of the 4 highest E-Scores, which is an aggregate measure of Appeal, Awareness and several other key factors.

Kirk, Out.

Having helmed the Enterprise for 50 years, Captain Kirk is one of the most beloved and enduring characters from Star Trek. This extended tenure has helped the captain be one of the most cherished characters across multiple generations. We found some interesting results when we analyzed the Kirk character among different demographic groups using E-Score Character

.

• Among the roughly 1 in 4 Millennials aware of the character, the vast majority find Captain Kirk Appealing. They select Brave as his leading attribute, but also find him Exciting and Handsome as well.
• The Millennial demographic sees Kirk as more Intelligent compared to their Generation X counterparts.

From Creepy people to Scary characters to Cool costumes, Halloween is a night adults and kids alike celebrate all things weird, eerie, and frightening.

Who Are You Calling Creepy?

Using E-Score Celebrity, we unmasked which celebrities are the creepiest.

Taking the top spot, Anthony Weiner’s Creepy score is over 23 percentage points higher than the next celebrity. His 63% Creepy score is the second-highest ever recorded, behind only Marilyn Manson’s 77% in 2006. Weiner is also one of the most disliked celebs, as evidenced by his 86% negative Appeal score (Dislike + Dislike A Lot.). Consumer comments describe Weiner as, “self-destructive,” “weird and disturbing.”

E-Score has been tracking America’s creepy celebrities since 2001, and several celebrities are now regulars on this list, with Ozzy Osbourne and Howard Stern dating back to E-Score’s early lists. Woody Allen has been a regular since 2011.

Frightening Figures

We looked at over 4500 characters in E-Score Character the only product that measures key descriptive attributes that reveal what drives character Appeal, and found the scariest characters from film and TV.

The list is largely dominated by classic characters respondents indicate are Scary, from our list of over 35 attributes in E-Score Character. In fact, 70% of the top 10 list are characters that debuted on big screens prior to 1991.

The scariest character on our list, Pennywise the Clown, is coming back to the big screen in a 2017 remake of Stephen King’s It. Intent is key as Pennywise tops the list for Very Interested in a Movie, and has the highest Appeal of any character on the list.

Movie characters dominate but are not the only characters on the Scary list. The Demogorgon, from Stranger Things on Netflix, is the sole TV character on the list. The monster is a combination of attributes Aggressive and Evil, as it comes in second for both attributes to Leatherface and Pinhead, respectively.

What to Wear: Top Kid’s Halloween Costumes

To find out what’s most in demand among kids we used E-Score Character – Kids to discover which characters 6-12 year-olds might want to be for Halloween this year.

Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad tops our list of characters kids are most interested in. They describe her as Cool (50%), Funny (36%) and Different (38%), with 94% expressing positive sentiments toward her. When asked what they like about Quinn, one responded, “She’s hilarious and just awesome. I’m going to be her for Halloween.”

Like Quinn, more than half the list are super heroes or villains. Only Steve from Minecraft, Freddy from Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Baby Dory of Finding Dory are not associated with super heroes.

While she rounds out the list of desirable costume characters, Baby Dory is the most appealing character with a Like A Lot score of 65%. This is sure to be the cutest costume as Baby Dory again tops all characters on the list for the Cute attribute.

Takeaway

E-Score products are the only resources in the marketplace that clearly define what is driving the value of celebrities, brands, and characters measured. Additionally, measuring attributes like Appeal, and measures of Extendibility like Very Interested In A Movie or Very Interested in Clothing can help you identify opportunities in a variety of marketing and licensing areas.

Methodology

E-Score Celebrity and Character: These Reports have a Total Awareness score greater than or equal to 0%. The products were fielded after 10/01/2014 among survey takers whose responses match all of the following: ‘Age is greater than or equal to 13’.

E-Score Character – Kids: Characters in any category. These Reports have a Total Awareness score greater than or equal to 0%. The products were fielded from 10/01/2014 to 10/03/2016 among all survey takers.

Resources

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