Introduction
Celebrity branding is a type of branding or advertising, in which a celebrity becomes a brand ambassador and uses his or her status in society to promote a product, service or charity and sometimes also appear as a promotional model. [1]
There are various ways in which a celebrity can endorse a product: 1. Simply appearing in advertisements 2. Just give voice over in the advertisement 3. Attend PR events 4. Create his or her own line of products or services 5. Using his name as a brand
Use of celebrity or sports professional can have a huge impact on a brand/ For example, sales of Nike golf apparels and footwear doubled after Tiger Woods was signed up on a sponsorship deal. Similar was the case with Nike and Michael Jordan.
It is important for an advertiser to evaluate the use of celebrities in their marketing campaigns in terms of their awareness, appeal and relevance to the brand’s image and celebrity’s influence on consumer buying behavior. It is important to figure out if that public figure will be able to motivate the consumers who see them in the advertisements to purchase the product advertised.
The Benefits and Risks of celebrity endorsements [2]
Benefits
Building Brand Equity: If a brand wants to enter into new markets (B2C), there cannot be a better way to communicate it to the consumers than endorsing it with a well known celebrity.
Help people remember ads: Celebrity endorsements can improve ad recall. According to research, people often associate ads when they see or hear the celebrity in other situations.
Stand out: Celebrity endorsement help advertisements in breaking the surrounding clutter. People prefer watching a celebrity than a dentist or an attorney any time.
Make people believe that the product contributes to the superstar status: If a NASCAR superstar endorses an engine oil, people believe that the product contributes greatly to the success of car and
References: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_branding [2] http://frog-og.com/articles/detail/the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_celebrity_endorsements/ [3] http://fashionbi.com/newspaper/celebrity-endorsement-going-wrong