We often see celebrities being roped in by Brands and being paid millions to represent and advocate their products. There are many instances of endorsements quickly fading out of recall or endorsements not translating to sales – Be it, the Kareena Kapoor advocating Sony Via or Salman Khan launching blackberry’s Playbook tablet or even Deepika Padukone for the HP slate. This time around, even the 2016 US Elections has probably been a platform more than ever before for Celebrity branding. Equally, there are enough instances where Celebrity branding has gone terribly wrong both Internationally and in India and transient entertainment value is all that the millions spent would have delivered in terms of value add to the brand, thus, leaving some thought provoking questions behind.
- No doubt celebrity branding to a large extent helps in reaching out to the masses through Television and Social Media and also in trying to create an image whereby masses can relate themselves to superstars presumably by using that product. But are they the ultimate brand ambassadors or more appropriately rather advocates who endorse brands by virtue of their personal fame and for a price?
- Are the public or the masses really able to relate the celebrity image, credibility and personality to the brand’s underlying ethos and values in any significant way to create a sustainable recall?
- How much does the fame and fall of the Celebrity impact on the sustainable brand value quotient over a period?
- How well thought out is the Strategy in selection of a Celebrity to endorse the Brand?
- Finally, is Celebrity branding an ultimate substitute to a host of other organic brand ambassadors in the Company ecosystem who play crucial role in defining Brand life cycle?
These questions can create an endless debate , but what we cannot overlook is the fact that there are at least 2 brand ambassadors in the brand ecosystem that cannot be replaced either by Celebrity branding or by Influencer marketing ,both of which are not natural ,organic advocates but are paid to promote the brand.
- One is the Satisfied Customer whose customer experiences makes him go that extra mile to endorse the brand widely and without expectations and unfortunately, rarely is this most valuable endorsement factored into the pricing mechanism.
- Two, employees, not just sales and marketing team but also the employees who are not exposed to the external environment directly, can make or break the brand value when it comes to playing their role across various stages in the value chain. Past employees are no exception in ability to influence a brand significantly and so cannot be taken for granted.
- Organic and Natural ambassadors have no substitutes in being able to reach out on a sustainable basis
