Celebrity Marketing Overview

Celebrity marketing definitely highlights a practice that has been used for years to increase sales, especially by the larger brands from all around the world. We look at famous people as being tremendous salesmen because their endorsement can so easily increase sales. Brand associations are remembered by consumers and we do want that endorsement from a mental point of view. If a celebrity we admire recommends something, it has to be good right?

As you surely already know, celebrity marketing is a common marketing strategy that uses a person that is famous in order to offer product endorsements. That celebrity can be a musician, ex-politician, cartoon character, athlete and so on. The celebrity does not need to be a superstar that is recognized internationally. He/she just has to be known in the group where the target audience is found.

We have seen celebrity marketing being used in practically all mediums including the internet, radio, television and print. The main part of the strategy is to be 100% sure that the celebrity perfectly matches the product that is sold. When this combination is done properly, profits can be huge and we would be faced with a public perception change. However, if the marketing strategy is not properly done, the brand can be destroyed. This practically means that you have to be careful when drafting a celebrity marketing campaign.

Who Uses Celebrity Marketing Effectively?

Contrary to popular belief, celebrity marketing is a really good strategy for both small and large industries, no matter the industry. Statistics show that 15% of the ads that currently run in USA feature a famous celebrity endorser.

As expected, the company that wants to work with the celebrity endorser has to pay a price that is higher, a premium for the services offered. This can be seen as the most important disadvantage that is associated with securing the celebrity partnership. Also, the advertising mediums like TV ads are expensive. A smaller company usually focuses on celebrity marketing strategies built around less expensive activities like autograph signing events and print ads.

It is important for the company that uses celebrity marketing to understand risks and rewards associated with the process. Many reasons exist why you may use the services of a celebrity. For instance, you may want to launch a product in a faster, easier way through a well-known person that is trusted by the potential buyers.

Selecting The Celebrity Marketer

This is the most important part of a celebrity marketing campaign. Choosing the bad celebrity will lead towards huge problems. With this in mind, selecting the celebrity endorser is all about:

• Relevance – the celebrity needs to be a perfect fit based on the product that is promoted. For instance, Jamie Oliver would be great for any food related product.
• Familiarity – the familiarity of the celebrity will have a huge effect on the effectiveness of the ad.
• Reputation – the celebrity has to be respected by the target audience.
• Differentiation – since the competition may also use celebrities, you want to differentiate yourself in one way or another, as long as it is a positive differentiation.