I commented recently that celebrity endorsements will lose their shine, but overall star power seems on its way out. In a NYTimes article about Tom Cruise's replacement of his sister as his publicist [sub likely required], Allan Mayer (managing director of a PR firm) comments on changes in the entertainment industry and star power ...
"The entertainment media is changing," said Allan Mayer, managing director at Sitrick and Company, a public relations firm. "The currency a movie star had was the ability to put people in the seats. They command enormous salaries. But simply having a star in a movie isn't enough. Young audiences don't have the same loyalties and interests that previous generations have. That's why there is so much panic in the industry."
[ ... ]
Mr. Mayer said the writing was on the wall for movie stars in general. "The movie star is past its peak in terms of its power," he said. "Which is not to say it's not very powerful, but people are realizing that other forces at work are more powerful, which no one can quite identify yet."
This, in combination with recent research from Pew Internet that concludes that 57% of teens create original content on the Internet, strengthens the rise of the customer's voice. Markets continue to fragment; the Long Tail grows; public trust wanes. More and more, I, as a customer, will rely on opinions/recommendations from people who I have developed a relationship with ... even if that relationship has solely been initiated and maintained online.