Affluent U.S. consumers say they trust content creators far more than celebrities when researching a luxury purchase, and YouTube has become the single platform most likely to shape the final decision, according to new survey data from advertising intelligence firm Precisify.
The report, “Precisify Insights: Luxury,” surveyed 500 U.S. adults ages 18 to 60 with a household income of at least $150,000 and self-reported luxury interest.
Asked who they trust most for an in-depth product review, 38.4% of respondents named content creators or influencers, compared with 29.5% for friends and family, 23.1% for brand ambassadors and just 8% for celebrities, per Precisify’s survey. Trust in creators was highest among 18-to-35-year-olds (31%) versus those 36 to 60 (27%).
The survey also found that almost 90% of respondents said watching a creator perform a “real-time” test of a luxury product made them more confident in its quality than a polished broadcast or streaming commercial. Respondents identified five criteria for winning that trust: clear demonstration of product value and quality, showing how a product works, high production quality, partnerships that feel native to the brand, and framing centered on customer benefit rather than a sales pitch. Half of respondents ranked clear value and quality as the top factor.
YouTube Anchors the Research and Purchase Funnel
Precisify’s data points to YouTube as the dominant platform across the luxury purchase journey. Among respondents, 68% said they spend at least an hour daily on YouTube, ahead of TikTok (61%) and Instagram (58%), with usage skewing younger across all three platforms. Separately, 71% of respondents said their YouTube viewing on a television screen has increased over the past year, and 56.4% and 39.4% said they watch long-form YouTube content on a laptop or TV screen, respectively, versus 71.7% on a phone.
When researching a purchase of $5,000 or more, 48% of respondents said they were most likely to turn to YouTube or social media during the “deep research and reviews” phase, compared with 22% during comparison shopping and 17% during initial discovery. When choosing between two competing luxury brands, 54% of male respondents and 52% of female respondents said YouTube or social review videos helped them make the final distinction, ahead of brand websites, friends and family, or in-store salespeople. YouTube also led when respondents were asked which platform played a role in their most recent luxury purchase (56.5%), ahead of TikTok (49.4%) and Instagram (40.2%), and 44% of respondents already considering a luxury purchase said YouTube ads recaptured their attention.
Awareness Doesn’t Guarantee Ownership
The survey also measured the gap between brand awareness and actual ownership across luxury categories. Louis Vuitton posted the highest awareness at 70%, with 55% ownership, while Hermès showed a wider spread (59% awareness, 44% ownership).
Celine stood out for having one of the smallest awareness-to-ownership gaps among the fashion houses tested, at 38% awareness and 29% ownership, a nine-point spread. Precisify’s report attributes this to Celine’s creator partnerships with fandom-driven ambassadors, including K-pop stars; the report cites a 591% year-over-year jump in the brand’s South Korean operating profit, sourced to the Economic Times, alongside a Celine campaign video featuring Taehyung that drew 803,000 YouTube views. Among watch and jewelry brands, Rolex led with 67% awareness and 51% ownership, the narrowest gap in that category.
The report also found gender differences in what drives luxury purchases: aesthetics and design ranked as the top motivator for 19% of women and 16% of men, while quality ranked higher among men (19%) than women (14%).
Image source: Precisify The full report is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Affluent U.S. consumers say they trust content creators far more than celebrities when researching a luxury purchase, and YouTube has become the single platform most likely to shape the final decision, according to new survey data from advertising intelligence firm Precisify.
The report, “Precisify Insights: Luxury,” surveyed 500 U.S. adults ages 18 to 60 with a household income of at least $150,000 and self-reported luxury interest.
Asked who they trust most for an in-depth product review, 38.4% of respondents named content creators or influencers, compared with 29.5% for friends and family, 23.1% for brand ambassadors and just 8% for celebrities, per Precisify’s survey. Trust in creators was highest among 18-to-35-year-olds (31%) versus those 36 to 60 (27%).
The survey also found that almost 90% of respondents said watching a creator perform a “real-time” test of a luxury product made them more confident in its quality than a polished broadcast or streaming commercial. Respondents identified five criteria for winning that trust: clear demonstration of product value and quality, showing how a product works, high production quality, partnerships that feel native to the brand, and framing centered on customer benefit rather than a sales pitch. Half of respondents ranked clear value and quality as the top factor.
YouTube Anchors the Research and Purchase Funnel
Precisify’s data points to YouTube as the dominant platform across the luxury purchase journey. Among respondents, 68% said they spend at least an hour daily on YouTube, ahead of TikTok (61%) and Instagram (58%), with usage skewing younger across all three platforms. Separately, 71% of respondents said their YouTube viewing on a television screen has increased over the past year, and 56.4% and 39.4% said they watch long-form YouTube content on a laptop or TV screen, respectively, versus 71.7% on a phone.
When researching a purchase of $5,000 or more, 48% of respondents said they were most likely to turn to YouTube or social media during the “deep research and reviews” phase, compared with 22% during comparison shopping and 17% during initial discovery. When choosing between two competing luxury brands, 54% of male respondents and 52% of female respondents said YouTube or social review videos helped them make the final distinction, ahead of brand websites, friends and family, or in-store salespeople. YouTube also led when respondents were asked which platform played a role in their most recent luxury purchase (56.5%), ahead of TikTok (49.4%) and Instagram (40.2%), and 44% of respondents already considering a luxury purchase said YouTube ads recaptured their attention.
Awareness Doesn’t Guarantee Ownership
The survey also measured the gap between brand awareness and actual ownership across luxury categories. Louis Vuitton posted the highest awareness at 70%, with 55% ownership, while Hermès showed a wider spread (59% awareness, 44% ownership).
Celine stood out for having one of the smallest awareness-to-ownership gaps among the fashion houses tested, at 38% awareness and 29% ownership, a nine-point spread. Precisify’s report attributes this to Celine’s creator partnerships with fandom-driven ambassadors, including K-pop stars; the report cites a 591% year-over-year jump in the brand’s South Korean operating profit, sourced to the Economic Times, alongside a Celine campaign video featuring Taehyung that drew 803,000 YouTube views. Among watch and jewelry brands, Rolex led with 67% awareness and 51% ownership, the narrowest gap in that category.
The report also found gender differences in what drives luxury purchases: aesthetics and design ranked as the top motivator for 19% of women and 16% of men, while quality ranked higher among men (19%) than women (14%).
Image source: Precisify
The full report is available here
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