Richard Branson trumps Justin Bieber
- By Jack Preston -
- Oct 17, 2012
New research conducted by City & Guilds has revealed that British teenagers are, on the whole, unimpressed by the achievements of celebrities, instead looking to business leaders such as Richard Branson for inspiration.
The study took in the opinions of over 1,500 14 to 20 year olds, with participants asked to name the person who they admired the most for their achievements. Author J.K. Rowling came out on top with 53%, closely followed by Richard Branson on 50% and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on 37%.
In contrast, many popular celebrities fared poorly, with Justin Bieber finishing on 8%, Kim Kardashian on 4% and Kate Moss on a lowly 3%. In addition over a third (34%) of 18 to 20 year olds said they see themselves as self-employed or having started their own company ten years from now, going some way to explain their admiration for the likes of the Virgin Group Founder.
“The results of the study show a welcome departure from the common assumption that teenagers today only aspire to celebrity status and quick fame,” explained Russell Pocock, Head of Learner Engagement at City & Guilds.
“Instead, what has been revealed here is a picture of a balanced and mature generation who understand the importance of talent, hard work and good values in achieving career success.”
The news follows more survey success for Branson. with him recently topping a YouGov poll of top celebrity bosses, where he beat the likes of Barack Obama to the title.
By Jack Preston. Content Executive. Tweets at @JackPressedOn
