LASTWORD
The last WORD
The power of celebrity
GrahamHales discusses the rewards and the pitfalls of flirtingwith celebrity
Brands have often seen the attraction of associating themselveswith a particular celebrity.We live in aworld where the culture of celebrity is rife and our appetite for news about their lives seems insatiable.
brands have recognised this zeitgeist and celebrity endorsement has become a common element of a brand’smarketingmix. On the plus side,when a brand
W
associates itselfwith a celebrity there are clear
benefits.Aclassic if not iconic example is the long-time Coke vs. Pepsi challenge, a challenge which Pepsi continually responded to over the years by joining upwith celebrities likeMichael Jackson and MariahCarey. Pepsi looked to celebrities to build
its brand emotionally, gaining brand advantagewhere therewas no convincing quality difference to speak of between the two products. In short, the brand gained news value. But in the longer termyou have to think, is this the right association for the life of the brand? The obvious opportunity being a strategywhere the product builds long termadvantage based on a deeper brand truth. Celebrities can also appeal to new
GrahamHales is UK managing director at Interbrand
demographics and newmarkets. Victoria Beckhamhas recently been involved in designing the Range Rover
Evoque.Cars have traditionally been amale domain, so the feminised Evoque shows its
e can all speculate on whether or not this signals a healthy society, but
softer sidewith the direct influence ofMrs Beckham. Butmost importantly celebrities
offer the chance of an association of shared values. This offers the highest potential of reward to the brand, but can also lead to themost evident failures. JamieOliver’s relationshipwith Sainsbury’s allows us to see both sides of this coin. ‘Saint Jamie’ couldn’t really be a better ambassador; a celebrity chef, a sincere champion of healthy eating and all-round family guy. Then Jamie joined upwithHugh in protesting against the conditions of battery hens. Thewhole spat lasted less than a
morning as accusationswere quickly withdrawn and both partiesmade up, but 11 years of endorsement were tarnished in amorning’s news coverage.Celebrities are after all human beings, andmuch as they may like to present themselves as manageable brands in their own right, things happen. Brands live in themediaworld so
some celebrity ‘endorsements’won’t be strategic; they just happen. Liam Gallagher andDanielaWestbrook’s love of Burberry caused the brand a fewtrickymoments as its demographic quickly shifted as a result of their favourability to the brand. These are difficultmoments for a brand to navigate and they can backfire badly. All in all, celebrity endorsements
can have a potentially valuable role for brands, but it requires clear consideration. It’s not just a case of mutual attraction; think harder, scrutinise their values carefully or risk sleepless nights.
Interbrand started in 1974 when the word still thought of brands as just another word for logo. Since its inception the company has been working to change the world's view of branding and brand management by creating and managing brands as valuable business assets. The company operates from just under 40 offices and is the world's largest brand consultancy. The organisation offers brand strategy, social media strategy, name testing and evaluation, visuals & packaging testing and much more. Interbrand works with brands such as Cadbury,Wrigley, Proctor & Gamble and Ocado, among many others.
For more information, visit
www.interbrand.com
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