Is it for real, or is it a signal?

Signaling strategies are like bates, used by marketers to add an exaggerated value to a product or service, and thus attract consumers. There are times that they become short term trends. If a celebrity uses or is seen with a specific product, it would be no surprise that the next day you would see 10 people in the street doing the same. Careful and discreet use of these signals is a smart and powerful marketing tool. But, overusing them, may have the opposite results. Consumers need to filter these signals. Overexposure of a product or person should alarm them about its "validity". Also, marketers should realize that an exploited signal looses its authenticity and its real character. It can make the consumers become tired of it and its financial success may be proven to be short term.