Recent Study Reaffirms Barack Obama’s Standing Among Millennials

Who you admire and what your heroes represent can reveal a lot about you. Marketers love to dig into these questions, not only in terms of understanding a target audience — the answers can deliver insights into a specific generation.

Take millennials. According to a recent study conducted by branding agency MBLM, those born between 1981 and 1996 in the United States admire Barack Obama the most, followed by Michelle Obama and Dwayne Johnson.

Millennial men and women showed differing preferences. Men in the age group ranked athletes more highly in general and LeBron James first. Women liked Michelle Obama most and preferred entertainers overall. Tom Hanks, Rihanna and Bill Gates appeared on both lists.

MBLM created its inaugural Brand-Intimate Famous Figures (BFF) Study to complement its annual study of intimate brands, where it discovered media & entertainment brands are now top industries.

“Just think about the impact these entertainers, politicians, athletes, entrepreneurs and spiritual leaders have on our lives,” says Mario Natarelli, managing partner of MBLM. “Particularly on the products, services, policies and beliefs we buy, use and believe in.”

That’s not to say that millennial consumers make purchases based on celebrity endorsements alone. In fact, some studies have found that millennial consumers are skeptical of celebrity endorsements. The power, instead, stems from a public figure’s relatable and authentic point of view.

Celebrities who understand the need to cultivate relationships and drive engagement have the greatest influence. Those who are active on social media place a crucial role in engaging young consumers who might otherwise not be exposed to a brand. As these groups watch less TV and ignore ads more often, the tactic is becoming a must-have for many marketers.

Another interesting take away from MBLM’s BFF Study is that most of the admired icons are from a generation other than millennial.

Sam Wolfson, a millennial journalist who writes for The Guardian, says: “The age range of cool has broadened out a bit. We relate to people who are connected to something real. Authenticity now comes from existing in the physical world.”

Wolfson explains: “You don’t have to be old to seem authentic, but the lives of people who grew up in a time before Facebook can seem almost fantastical to those of us who spent our childhoods behind computer screens.”

And that brings us back to Barack Obama.

As the Los Angeles Times points out, “President Obama … isn’t a millennial (in fact he has two millennial children), but his leadership style and beliefs reflect America’s largest and most diverse cohort.”

Weston Sims, senior at Auburn University and Chief of Staff for the College Democrats of America, says the avid support from Millennials for Obama can be linked to a change in values. “Young Americans care about abstract values, such as deeper fulfillment in work, a sense of duty and vivid experiences rather than material wealth.”