Celebrity Endorsement

Celebrity endorsement is a marketing technique frequently used in today' society. I am sure you all have seen endless advertisements where well-know celebrities are used in either posters or videoclips. Celebrities are used to support corporate or brand image, by playing on elements such as attractiveness, likeability and trustworthiness. Consumers believe that these elements can somehow be transferred to them by for instance using the specific product which the celebrity is marketing. Moreover, due to celebrities fame the advertisement will have high memorability. It will therefore help the advert to stick out from other promotions in cluttered environments. Accordingly, financial returns for the firm is strengthened (Erdogan, B.Z., 1999). Consumers are likely to get relational ties with celebrities as they associate closeness and even friendship with celebrities (White et al., 2009).

Although celebrity endorsement seems as a highly effective way to market products, it is related to great risks due to the dynamics that could be experienced. Celebrities are human beings, they can change their image, alter their behaviour and thereupon transform the societal perception of themselves. If this happens, it will have significant impact on the advertisement and could even transfer negative associations with a brand. White et al. (2009) explains how negative information concerning a celebrity can have a negative influence on the endorsed product due to the significant correlation between product and celebrity image.

To conclude, celebrity endorsement can be very powerful, however companies needs to consider the risks of endorsing products. They must carefully think which celebrity fits the notions that the company wants to transfer to the product but also pick a reliable celebrity. I think that celebrity endorsement is a clever way of marketing and that it will continue to remain prevalent in the future.

References:

Erdogan, Z.B. (1999) Celebrity Endorsement: A Literature Review. Journal of Marketing Management, 15 (4), Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1362/026725799784870379#.VGh2ita5aRs. [Accessed 20th October 2014].

White, D.W., Goddard, L. & Wilbur, N. (2009) The effects of negative information transference in the celebrity endorsement relationship. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 37 (4), Available from: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/full/10.1108/09590550910948556 [Accessed 20th October 2014].