The Effect of Celebrities in Advertisements

The Effect of Celebrities in Advertisements

Whether it is a pop singer promoting soft drinks or a celebrity influencer showcasing products on social media, celebrity advertising is hard to ignore. Celebrities naturally command attention and that includes celebrity endorsement or celebrity branding. Featuring celebrities in advertising can grab attention immediately and enhance a brand, and for that reason it has always been a high-impact marketing tool.

What Is Celebrity Branding?

Having a famous person advertise a product can be a powerful tool for marketing. Celebrities promote everything from products to services and even social causes. Celebrities can shine a bright spotlight on all types of businesses, and that’s why they are sought out by a wide variety of companies to advertise their products or services.

To give it a formal definition, celebrity branding is the use of famous people to generate buzz around a product or service. Celebrity branding involves engagement from celebrities with the product or service. These days, that often translates to generating buzz or engagement with their social networks.

One example of celebrity branding is having a product promoted on social media by a celebrity_._ Celebrities have substantial social networks and people are always interested in the trends and products that celebrities endorse. Celebrity branding on social media has the potential to reach more people than other traditional advertising methods.

Why Do Companies Use Celebrity Endorsement?

According to business consultant Martin Roll, endorsement is a marketing channel for communicating a brand through a celebrity spokesperson. A communication channel is any means through which a company communicates its offerings to consumers.

Celebrity endorsement is a promotional tool that boosts brand awareness. It is a way of enhancing credibility and gaining visibility for brands. Celebrities are well-known people and a celebrity endorsement can make a brand stand out. Many companies have successfully leveraged celebrity endorsements to result in increased business.

Typically, celebrity endorsement is associated with large companies. Increasingly, smaller and lesser known companies are reaching out to celebrity influencers to promote their brands. Celebrity endorsement builds credibility and can expose a brand to new markets.

The celebrity effect is the ability of famous people to influence others. Companies can use that star power and influence to boost their own products and services. Celebrities can add credibility and glamour to a brand.

How Does Celebrity Endorsement Influence Consumers Purchasing?

Celebrity endorsement is the promotion of a product or service by a celebrity. For example, a professional athlete might endorse a specific brand of athletic footwear. That athlete would then appear in commercials advertising that particular footwear. They would also wear that brand of footwear during matches or games. This is a classic example of celebrity advertisement.

Nike is well known for celebrity endorsements of athletic footwear. They have had multiple successful celebrity endorsement campaigns. Whether it is basketball or golf, Nike has seen considerable gains from endorsements from athletes such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Celebrity endorsements are powerful in part because of large celebrity networks. Celebrities are able to reach a lot of people through different mediums. Celebrities can reach people through television, traditional media and also social media. The other major reason they are so powerful is because of the celebrity effect.

Do Celebrity Endorsements Increase Sales?

Celebrity endorsements and branding can significantly increase sales. Signing a celebrity endorsement can cause the value of stocks to rise and increase sales by about 4 percent, according to Social Media Week. Social media has been a major factor recently in driving product sales. That is in large part because social media can provide curated glimpses into the daily lives of celebrities.

Nike is a great example of using celebrity endorsements to boost sales. The 1984 Nike Air Jordan campaign was one of the most successful celebrity endorsements in history. 25 years later in 2009, the Nike Jordan brand dominated 75 percent of basketball shoe sales and 10.8 percent of overall shoe sales in the United States.

Why Do Advertisers Use Celebrities to Endorse Products?

Celebrity advertisement drives the sales of many products. These days, a celebrity advertisement can tap into the social media following of celebrities. That is direct access to thousands of eyes for a product in addition to the credibility of a celebrity endorsement. Social media is especially useful in reaching younger generations.

Social media offers a glimpse into the lives of celebrities. The celebrity effect of seeing a star using a product on social media can thrust a brand into the limelight overnight. That is why so many brands are clamoring to promote their products through celebrity advertisement.

Celebrities are familiar faces that we associate with familiar characteristics. People are inclined to trust a recommendation or endorsement from a known public figure. We feel like we personally know celebrities and we trust them.

What Are the Drawbacks of Celebrity Advertising?

A famous celebrity can overshadow a brand and detract from it. Sometime, a brand will rely too heavily on a celebrity endorsement. When that happens, the celebrity can outshine the product or give the impression that they are not genuinely interested. This can make a brand seem inauthentic.

If consumers are not convinced that celebrities are sincere about an endorsement, it can negatively impact the brand. Celebrities who endorse too many products may lose credibility with the public. It is important to match your product or service to the right celebrity.

It can take a long time to influence consumers through a celebrity endorsement. A celebrity endorsement from a star that is not well matched to the brand will not influence consumers at all. These are all important considerations before seeking a celebrity endorsement.

What Should You Consider Before Seeking a Celebrity Endorsement?

It can be tempting to rely on celebrity star power, but celebrity advertising cannot replace a marketing plan. There are a few things to consider before pursuing a celebrity endorsement. It is important to select a celebrity endorsement that will result in success for your brand.

It is important to give serious consideration before seeking a celebrity endorsement. The primary questions to answer before deciding on celebrity endorsement include:

• Is associating with a leading celebrity the easiest way to build a brand?
• Should celebrity endorsement be the principal channel of brand communications?
• How can brands decide on potential brand endorsers?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of such endorsements?
• Is celebrity endorsement always beneficial to the brand?
• How can a celebrity enhance a brand image?
• What are some drawbacks of celebrity endorsement?

It is important to select a celebrity that matches the brand well. They should be considered attractive – whether that is physical, intellectual, lifestyle or competence. Celebrities should also have a positive reputation before they endorse a brand. A celebrity with a negative reputation can harm a brand.

What Types of Celebrity Endorsement Are Available?

Celebrity advertising is very popular. Typically, celebrities are either celebrities from traditional media or they are in new media such as social media. Examples of traditional celebrities would be film actresses or professional athletes. Examples of new media celebrities would be digital influencers or internet celebrities.

Traditional celebrity endorsements might be a better choice for established brands with recognized products. However, traditional celebrities can command high costs. Newer brands might do better by finding up-and-coming celebrity digital influencers. Often, digital influencers don’t have the name recognition of a traditional star, but they may be very influential among target demographic groups.

References

Writer Bio

Hashaw Elkins is a financial services and tax professional, as well as a project management consultant. She has led projects across multiple industries and sectors, ranging from the Fortune Global 500 to international nongovernmental organizations. Hashaw holds an MBA in Real Estate and an MSci in Project Management. She is further certified in organizational change management, diversity management, and cross-cultural mediation.