The field of consumer behavior is the study of individuals, groups/organizations, and processes. Although many factors affect the purchase decision process, the correct use of Celebrity has a great influence on consumers.
Marketers pay celebrities millions in the hope that they will bring magic to the brands they endorse and make them more attractive and successful. The effectiveness of using a celebrity to endorse a company’s product can usually be improved by matching the celebrity’s image to the personality of the product and the actual or desired concept of the target market. There is a high correlation between appearance, awareness, taste, credibility, and credibility of advertising and purchase intentions.
The theory behind the use of celebrity is that featuring stars in advertising has special cultural significance, born from the unique way they have built an image through various forms of media. By associating celebrities with the product, these special meanings are conveyed to the products or brands. In a competitive market, a famous face can give a brand extra appeal and help it stand out. Celebrities have particular configurations of meanings that cannot be found elsewhere.
Sports celebrities are often popular picks and sponsors of everything from clothing to vehicles. For example, Nike used basketball star Michael Jordan as a spokesperson since 1985 and the Air Jordan line was still selling. In December 2000, Venus Williams signed the most lucrative endorsement deal for a female athlete when she agreed to a three-year deal with international Reebok worth $40 million.
Another popular industry to get famous sponsors from is the music industry. One of the famous singer Britney Spears was singing in Pepsi commercials in 2005. Adnan Sami went through the same process in the Asian market for the Pepsi ad. Similarly, companies often use actors, actresses and supermodels to promote their products.
However, in addition to the exorbitant costs, there are risks and dangers associated with the use of celebrities in advertising. The best plan can still backfire. Pepsi hired Madonna for several million dollars to feature her in the Pepsi campaign. Then, controversy over religious imagery in Madonna’s “Prayer” video led to the threat of a consumer boycott, and Pepsi lost $10 million. Cybill Shepherd’s ad for the beef industry flopped when she publicly admitted that she rarely ate red meat. These examples are just some of the problems with celebrity endorsements. Unfortunately, there are hidden dangers when using celebrities. A celebrity’s consumer appeal may fade if the celebrity disappears from the media spotlight before their contract is up.
If so many dangers abound, why turn to the famous? Many advertisers feel that celebrities make an ad more effective. The use of celebrity has been shown to lead to higher recall of an ad. For example, in early 2001, Revlon stopped using famous models and hired relatively unknown people for its advertising campaigns, thinking that women wanted models with whom they could more easily identify. In November 2001, they reversed this decision and began signing celebrities such as Julianne Moore and Halle Berry, after losing 10.6 percent of the cosmetics market share during the previous year.
The above examples reflect the importance of celebrities in the association of products and their effects. Marketers must understand each other before the selection of celebrities. For example, a makeup company may target both younger and older women, and the aspirational celebrity chosen for younger women may not be aspirational for older women.
Consumers who have used brand associations to build their own identity may be more loyal to brands and less likely to switch to competing brands in response to price cuts, special displays, bundling tactics, and coupons.
To assess the effectiveness of a celebrity endorsement, all three elements must be taken into account: celebrity image, brand image, and consumer aspirations.
Celebrities can be used to reduce conflict between nations or a country. Adnan Sami lives in India and Annie in Pakistan; both appeared together in the Pepsi commercial. Pepsi introduced this ad in the Pakistan and India markets. This type of ads shows the good relationship between the countries or nations.
The correct use of Celebrity plays a vital role in the success of the brand along with its advertising in the target market. Celebrity selection requires detailed study to predict its effects on the target market. Companies must go through the full vetting process prior to celebrity screening for their desired product association, especially in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) celebrity screening, which becomes more critical.
[Article by Abdullah Nazir]