Can you believe half the year is already gone already? I can’t, and that’s why if you feel way behind on your marketing efforts it may be time to kick things into overdrive and hire a celebrity to help endorse your products and services. There are many tips, tricks, and ideas to market products and or companies successfully. If you are wondering, the true purpose of any marketing campaign is to control the outcome. That’s it, nothing else. If you see something that says otherwise, run. But wait, does hiring a celebrity to promote your product or company actually work, you may be wondering? The answer is yes! Hiring a celebrity is the single most effective way to sway the minds of the masses. To put things into perspective let’s take a quick look at the top paid actresses of 2019. Did you know that the combined annual revenue from the top 10 famous celebrity actresses in the USA amasses over ¼ of a billion dollars annually? That doesn’t mean you have to hire Scarlet Johanson to promote your pancake mix. It means that the perceived value and demand is there. According to Statista, the combined annual gross revenue from the highest-paid female actresses of 2019 is over $300 million. That is a lot of money for a group of individuals who only work when they want to. Yes, sex sells, but what really sells is trust. And for the most part, a celebrity has the attraction element, credibility, and the appearance of being trustworthy. Long story short, this is part of the reason for hiring an actor, actress, or celebrity to endorse your product is so effective. The appearance of trust is also likely to carry over onto your products or services. Some additional reasons to hire a celebrity endorser are below.
Reason 1. Customer Loyalty
Being loyal is more difficult than you think, which is why if you can make it appear that a celebrity is loyal to your brand, you’re going to win. But, in everyday life, people struggle to be loyal to their partner, themselves, and even family at times. Now, this is only important if you look at the grand scheme of things. For example, loyalty can be as simple as following you around and listening to your every command like a dog or an animal. Ok, that is kind of a weird example, but you get the point. If you don’t, the point is, in real-life being loyal is difficult. To be fiercely loyal to anything is an almost impossible feat, even for pups and most animals (bless their hearts).
Here is some reason why being associated with a loyalist also gives you the appearance of trustworthy:
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They have a positive forward-facing mentality
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They welcome routine and consistency in every-day life
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They commit
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They Show empathy
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They Are very self-aware
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They live in the moment – no emotion lasts forever – even disappointment
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They do what they say they will and are reliable
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They know how to communicate with different types of people
If you want to build a loyal customer base, a celebrity will help you reinforce these likable personal traits. A lot of consumers, don’t even know what or why they enjoy a product so much. If you ask them why they enjoy Pepsi versus Coke, they’ll probably say “I like the taste better”, but it is more likely they saw a cool commercial or Just Timberlake sipping the same product a hundred times then finally decided to try it. And although that may not be the sole reason they’ve decided to remain loyal to the brand, it likely had a lot of influence, especially if the advertisements that are seen reinforce the aforesaid 8 trustworthy traits.
Essentially, if the celebrity you hire appears to trust your product, so can the average person considering the thought of buying it.
Reason 2. Celebrity Association & Exclusivity
Kylie Jenner’s customers will tell you, that when you put on her favorite, foundation, or cloth facemask to protect against COVID-19 it’s almost as if you become Kylie. Big company’s spend millions or billions to show the average person that owning something promoted by a celebrity or their persona makes you part of an exclusive group. In general, celebrities will mostly want to promote their own products because of this reason. In fact, if you can get the right celebrity to endorse your products it is likely they will never touch your products again after unless they are being paid to do so. The bottom line is that you probably won’t ever be as famous as some of the celebrities we see in the world today. But if you are seen on IG, FB, or Snapchat wearing their products or vise versa, you can capture a piece of that interest and use it for self-promotion or validation.
Reason 3. Creating Unforgettable Memories
I am a concert goer. That means I spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on frequenting concerts and events in pursuit of timeless memories. Why do I want cool memories with fun in a fun and exciting atmosphere? Well, that is because the opposite is sitting in an office writing an article like this. And although I enjoy the occasional well written 1,000 word blog vomit, it’s not the stuff I want to really tell my grandkids or other people about. Sure they can do some research and see what kinds of things exist in the world even without me telling them, but the most powerful tool of all is not the written word. It is the spoken word. If you disagree, take a look at the world today and really let it sink in. I mean really-really sink in. How many times did you log in to your social media platforms today? Was it once, twice did you log in ten times? Oh wait, that’s right you are auto lagged in. Well, that proves my point exponentially. You might know this already, but people are DYING to be a part of something that matters, share a “cool” story or understand the newest trend. That means you are on social media for one true reason, and that is to tell your story or to share memories. For some users, it is the opposite. They want to hear a cool story or they are looking for information to recycle and share somewhere else themselves. True power comes from the experience, however. Of course, receiving second information is also helpful, I mean look at what the Myans and Incas left behind. The remanence is so powerful that we are still interpreting/translating the meaning of artifacts, calendars, and inscriptions to this day. How does this relate to hiring a celebrity for marketing you might ask? Well, I can guarantee that at some point during reading this section you thought of a time where you enjoyed yourself at a concert, live event, or even just while watching the halftime super bowl. I am also fairly certain that you told at least one person about the special occasion at some point. And that same concept holds true when using a celebrity to leverage their popularity for your benefit. If someone sees your companies hand-sewn leopard print speedo on Kanye West, I promise it will go down in history, and you will never need to spend another dollar on marketing, Another weird example (I know).
Final Thoughts
In the end, what we are really talking about is leverage. Leverage makes the world go around. It doesn’t matter if you own a coffee shop, a football team, or the corner bodega in little Saigon. All you need is the right kind of celebrity at the right time to persuade consumers that your brand is trustworthy, reliable, and more memorable than Pepsi.
Troy Wyatt is an independent TERO certified entertainment consultant that focuses on the guest experience for patrons in the hospitality industry. With over a decade of in-depth exposure to entertainment, he specializes in providing marketing and entertainment guide to the tribal gaming industry. Wyatt uses his deep knowledge of key casino marketing concepts and proven methods to build successful and sustainable entertainment programs. His extensive background in live entertainment production and event ticketing allows him to create unique strategies that engage players in innovative ways. To learn more about hiring a celebrity for your company or tribal casino visit Seattletalentbuying.com.
