Abstract
The above paper seeks to explain the significance of celebrity endorsement in marketing and its rationale in enhancing brand awareness. However, the paper indicates that celebrity endorsement may have a negative or positive influence on consumer behavior. The paper starts with an introduction to the significant use of celebrity endorsement in advertisements. The paper then indicates the application of the concept in integrated marketing and how it is used as an effective tool to enhance communication. In a different section, the study suggests the importance of celebrity endorsement in influencing consumer behavior with a warning that efficient management of the same should be done. Furthermore, three case studies are used to indicate the impact of celebrity endorsement as an ideal promotional tool. Some of the aspects that are attributed to choosing a perfect celebrity to endorse a brand include trustworthiness and the attractiveness of the particular individuals. The paper finally concludes with a note that celebrity endorsement has a significant influence on developing product awareness in the market setting.
1.0 Introduction
The aspect of using celebrity to endorse marketing of brands has gained popularity in the recent past. Celebrity endorsement is therefore used as an ideal communication tool as evidenced in magazines and newspapers. It is a norm to see pictures of famous celebrities in the advertisement of most of the brands on billboards, televisions shows and the internet banners among other forms of advertising. Marketers are therefore using the communication tools to attract the attention of consumers in the market by not only creating awareness but reminding users of the brands. According to Audi, Masri, and Ghazzawi (2015), the concept (celebrity endorsement) is one of the most popular strategies through which marketers communicate with consumers. Apparently, it is believed that celebrities add an extra advantage to a product that they endorse as people relate the respective brands with the personality and their image as an approach to enhance the features of the product. Through the concept, marketers can not only attract the attention of consumers but make people recall about the respective products in the market.
Therefore, it is worth appreciating that selecting an ideal celebrity will have a significant impact towards commercialization of a given brand in the market. It is perceived that consumers are driven by the celebrity message to purchase a given brand in the market. The above paper seeks to indicate the rationale of celebrity endorsement on different brands and outline the necessary aspects that should be put into consideration while choosing the right celebrity to use.
2.0 Main Body
In the current market setting, company products are sold based on their brand image in the market, and this aspect forms part of the business identity. Celebrities, as will be used in the above study, indicate the people who have acquired general acceptance by the public due to their excellence in the various areas of professionalism. Celebrities are thus used as a brand representative in the market, based on how the society understands the champions. In the current global setting that is faced with intense competition, celebrity endorsement is considered as the most efficient strategy of differentiation and communication (Hung, 2014 p. 160).
2.1 Integrated marketing strategy
The concept is used in marketing to refer to the marketing tactic that utilizes various means to sell a brand in the market in different platforms including television, radio, print or the internet. Brand, according to Mishra, (2015 p. 20), refers to the name or symbol that a particular good or product is identified in the market and by which it can be differentiated from competitors. The concept of celebrity as aforementioned indicates a person in the market who is subjected to massive public following due to his/her accomplishment in different areas of life. Such people are role models to many and have a significant impact on influencing consumer attention by associating the various products through endorsement.
In the above type of integrated marketing, the marketers seek to use people with a well-known personality in the advertisements to induce sell of a product amid the public. The endorsement is done using different media platforms as celebrities are known to develop, restore and add new scopes to the particular brands. The endorsement process enhances the image of a product in the market as well as gaining consumer trustworthy (Zwilling and Fruchter, 2013 p. 409).
In integrated marketing, the use of celebrities is advised for various reasons as will be outlined. Celebrities not only make the particular products be recognized and accepted in the market but also may help re-position a brand in the market (Carroll, 2009 p. 146). Different scholars have indicated their concerns that consumers anticipate getting an insight into the lives of the celebrities. It is for this reason that celebrities are used to attract consumer attention in integrated marketing. Moreover, adverts of brands with celebrities help enhance the ability of consumers to recall about a particular product in the market. However, it is worth appreciating that celebrity endorsement can influence the feelings of consumers towards purchasing of a particular product in the market. The aspect can either motivate or discourage customers from using a product due to the celebrity image that they utilized in the advertisement.
Through integrated marketing, marketers devise effective strategies through which they plan on the best strategy combination to use in advertising a product for it to get maximum attention in the market. This includes strategies that will enable the corporate to win the consumer loyalty, an attribute that helps develop long-term relations with customers. The chosen celebrities must have the necessary qualities that are required in marketing a given brand. In the planning process, the marketers ought to choose the right channels of communication so as to pass the message effectively to the intended consumers. The marketing team, therefore, needs to appreciate the fact that in promoting a product, different aspects are involved and celebrity endorsement is just a single attribute.
2.2 Communication
Apparently, it is imperative to understand that different scholars have echoed the significance of celebrity endorsement as an effective strategy of advertisement. The concept helps enhance consumer interest in a product, a feature that contributes to the development of consumer loyalty. Moreover, according to Mat Dom et al., (2016), products that are endorsed by celebrities that have a positive impact in societies tend to attract the attention of consumers, thereby influencing their purchasing behavior. Furthermore, other scholars argue that use of celebrity endorsement helps enhance the ability of consumers to recall about particular brands as they relate the products with the celebrities. Therefore, it is important to point out that, over the decades, different marketers have sought to use celebrity endorsement as a useful communication tool. The concept has proofed successful in most advertisements as it is the most efficient way of communicating with consumers and enhances the ability of users to recall and identify the respective products in the market.
Advertisements come in different forms and over the decades, celebrity endorsement has proofed to be the most practical approach as far as winning of consumer loyalty is concerned (Lim Siew and Yazdanifard, 2013 p. 25). However, for the approach to be effective, it is vital to choose celebrities with distinct features that suit the brand to be advertised. Some of the attributes that are taken into consideration in the above process include the personality of the individual and his/her lifestyle and how it coincides with the communication plan.
It is for this reason that a “match-up hypothesis” is carried out to determine the relevance of the celebrity in endorsing a given brand. The attributes of the celebrity must, therefore, match with features of the endorsed brand for connection to existing. Moreover, Branigan and Mitsis, (2014 p. 321) explains further that for any advertisement to be effective, the different attributes (image and character) of the celebrity must match with those of endorsed products. However, choosing a wrong celebrity that fails to have an adequate match with the advertised products will have a negative effective on consumer behavior as far as the product is concerned.
2.3 Consumer Behavior
In the current global setting that is characterized by intense competition, it has been proofed that celebrity endorsement has a significant effect on enhancing brand awareness. Scholars have affirmed that products that are endorsed by celebrities receive a lot of recognition in the market due to the development of consumer confidence. After viewing such advertisement, consumers tend to develop a positive perception towards the use of such products in the market.
Most consumers in the market tend to embrace the lifestyle of celebrities on their success and failures. Consumers relate the particular products that are endorsed by the celebrities with their personalities and the different attributes that they perceive as necessary. Through the various advertisements, consumers can identify products that are endorsed by the celebrities. People tend to emulate the lifestyle of celebrities and are more willing to be identified with the different products that are endorsed by such individuals in the society.
Moreover, brands that are endorsed by people who are recognized on a global scale tend to overcome the various cultural barriers that are linked with the products (Lea-Greenwood, 2013). For example, in 2009, most of Samsung products were endorsed by Chelsea’s striker Drogba, who was renowned for his great striking force. Therefore, the company’s products were associated with success and superior quality, an aspect that made most people to purchase such brands.
2.4 Case Study 1: PEPSI
In 2001, PEPSI Company contracted Spears to endorse their beverage drinks as she was popularly known for her music in different parts of the world. The celebrity appeared in various commercial shows and in the main sporting events making her be appreciated by consumers. Therefore, people associated the drink with her success, an aspect that made the beverage drink to be esteemed in different parts of the universe. Moreover, in her last endorsement, Spears worked with other famous celebrities such as Beyoncé and Enrique who are well renowned across the world. It is imperative to appreciate the fact that Spears tenure with Pepsi was a success to the company, an aspect that made the company to enter into contract with other celebrities such as Beyonce and Nick Minaj.
2.5 David Beckham for H&M
David Beckham is a renowned football star of all times, and he featured in most of H&M advertisements that appeared in 2013 to endorse Bodywear brands from the company. The ad was based on the fact that the celebrity was a good sportsman hence was loved by most consumers in the market who liked football. Moreover, Beckham fitted the features of the advertised products and was emulated by many due to his positive impact on society. The company, therefore, uses the football star as a style leader in fashion across the globe, a position that is well fitted.
Therefore, they used a sexy advertisement that showed Beckham wearing sporting skintight underwear, T-shirts, and shorts among other cloth wear products produced by the corporate. One of the aspects that made the advertised brands be accepted in the market is the celebrity physique that was admired by many. H&M as a company sought to endorse their product using a popular sportsman, with the ability to attract many people to purchase the company products. Moreover, most of the advertised brand wear was for men, an attribute that made the company utilize a football star. It is imperative therefore to appreciate the fact that in selecting process of celebrities to endorse particular products, different aspects need to be put into consideration. The selected celebrities must be at the maturity stage, a stage when they are most appreciated by the society (McCormick, 2016 p. 41). Therefore, in choosing the right individuals, some of the significant features that are recognized include; they must be attractive, have a positive impact on society and competent in the area of professionalism (Choi and Rifon, 2012 p. 639-650).
2.6 Case Study 3: Michael Jordan: Hanes and Nike
Michael Jordan is a basketball star who was renowned across the globe for his superior game in almost three decades. The celebrity appeared in different commercial advertisements for various products, an aspect that was highly appreciated. The celeb was regarded as a spokesman for Nike and Hanes underwear and in 1985 he featured in most of the advertisement of Nike’s products. Moreover, Jordan was known to wear Nike Air Jordan Shoes, which gained popularity in the market giving the company an added advantage in the market. Due to the excellent performance of Jordan in Basketball, and his commitment to wearing Nike products in all his games, most basketball fans were attracted to purchase the company’s products as they associated the products with success (Greenman, 2014).
Conclusion
Celebrity endorsement as a marketing strategy has gained popularity in the recent past and has been identified as the most efficient advertising tactic of creating brand awareness. Different scholars have linked the concept to enhanced communication amid the consumers and the marketers. The aspect helps in enhancing the brand image of the particular products in the market, a feature that attracts the attention of most people. It is confirmed that most people admire the lives of most celebrities and tend to emulate their behavior by purchasing the different products that such individuals endorse. From the various case studies outlined in the paper, it is affirmed that selecting an ideal celebrity plays a significant impact in the successful marketing of a given product in the market. However, to realize efficient marketing strategies, different aspects other than celebrity endorsement are taken into consideration. The identified celebrities in the market ought to be attractive, appropriate timed and competent in their respective areas of excellence.
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Appendix
Appendix 1: Spears for Pepsi
(Source: Greenman, 2014)
David Beckham for H&M
(Source: Greenman, 2014)
(Source: Greenman, 2014)
