MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Marketing Snippet: Using Celebs to Endorse Your Brand

Celebs and influencers have appeal but should you use them to promote your product or service

This is not a new marketing idea, but the fact is celebrity endorsements sell products. While not all brands buy into the appeal of celebrity endorsement, the logic is pretty simple.

People worship celebrities.

So when a famous person partakes in an advertisement to promote a new product, audiences react. Their actions are the evidence, prompted to buy that product or service, directly or subliminally.

This article explores this marketing approach.

Employing Celebs

This source of marketing communication can be viewed as a multifaceted concept as there are two sources that can be included in a promotional campaign, such as:

• Direct sources — employed through an agency
• Indirect sources — social media comment

Source characteristics often have a significant impact on the effectiveness of an advertising message. The effectiveness depends on the degree to which a spokesperson has one or more of the following five characteristics:

1. Likeability — consumers respond positively to celebs they like.
2. Attractiveness — consisting of physical and personality characteristics.
3. Trustworthiness — the degree of confidence or level of acceptance consumers place in the celebs’ message.
4. Expertise — Those with higher levels of expertise are more believable than sources with low expertise.
5. Credibility — This is the sum of the other characteristics, a blend of attractiveness, trustworthiness, likeability, and expertise.

Credibility influences audience acceptance.

Using Celebs

There are lots of advertisements where a celebrity spokesperson is employed. A celebrity endorsement is used because their approval of a product or service can enhance brand equity. Applications include:

• Endorsements — The celeb, expert or not, simply recommends the use of his or her image and name to promote a brand.
• Testimonials — An expert celeb with experience of the brand attests to the benefits, values, and worth.
• Dramatizations — Celebrity actors or models portray the brand during dramatic enactments designed to enhance the brand.

Marketing Risks

Celebrities and influencers don't come with a risk-free guarantee. It is the responsibility of the brand to pick and choose wisely.

So to conclude, here are some takeaways to consider:

1. The celebrity appeal may overshadow the brand
2. The target audience may not be receptive to the celeb endorser
3. The celebrity may be overexposed, reducing credibility
4. The celebrity’s behavior may pose a risk to the brand

Here’s how to deliver a successful celebrity/influencer campaign

1. Be selective about the extent to which there’s a valid association between the celebrity and the brand
2. Be aware to the extent to which a brand assimilates preferred associations derived from the chosen celebrity
3. Measure if there’s a ‘good fit’ between the brand and the celebrity
4. Can the brand trust being linked with the celebrity’s involvement in the short and/or long term

That’s it folks, short and sweet!