Celebrity endorsement is a well-known promotional tool used in countless marketing campaigns. You see famous people plastered all over print ads, television, and social media but does using celebrities in video marketing actually lead to increased sales of a product? The answer is an absolute yes however, there can also be some drawbacks that you may want to consider before choosing a celebrity to represent your brand. Here are some of the pros and cons of featuring celebrities in video marketing.
Celebrities are familiar faces, many people feel a personal connection to their favorite celebs, therefore they are generally well-trusted by their fans. Seeing a celebrity using a product on social media, or endorsing a product on television, can thrust a brand into the limelight overnight.
An example of the successful use of a celebrity in video marketing would be the partnership between Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey and Lincoln Motor Company. Lincoln needed a brand boost, their market share had been dropping for years, and in 2013 they hit a 32-year sales low. In 2014 McConaughey began appearing in ads for the car company that quickly propelled the carmaker into the social media spotlight and reinvigorated the brand. The campaign leads to a spike in brand awareness doubling metrics and tripling website traffic and an eventual increase in its market share.
In a high-quality video marketing campaign, using a celebrity to represent you can set your brand apart from competitors while simultaneously creating a connection between the brand and its target audience. It can help to expand brand recognition, and improve ad recall, making viewers remember your ad and that your brand is connected to their favorite celebrity. Notable brand/celebrity partnerships like Michael Jordan and Nike, Julia Roberts and Lancôme, Jennifer Garner and Capital One, and Jennifer Aniston and Aveeno are examples of successful brand endorsements.
While it’s true that using the power of celebrity in a video marketing campaign can be great for business before you hire a celeb to represent your brand there are a few things you should consider.
Star power can be expensive. It may seem obvious, but hiring a celebrity to promote products typically requires spending a substantial amount of money. For example, Pepsi reportedly shelled out a whopping 50 million dollars for a 10-year endorsement contract with Beyoncé. So if you’re not a multi-billion dollar company, it’s extra important to assess the potential return on investment to be sure the endorsement is worth the cost.
If a marketing campaign is not handled properly, a celebrity can overshadow the brand they’re representing. If an ad focuses too much on the celebrity, it can diminish any brand connection so that viewers only remember the celebrity and not your brand.
Finally, your brand will need to consider the possible risk that comes with changes in a celebrity’s image. When you sign a celebrity to represent your brand, you sign on to everything that comes with them. While this usually means expanding brand awareness and bringing in some of their fan base as customers, it can also lead to disaster if a scandal occurs. Notable endorsement partnerships that have gone bad like OJ Simson and Hertz, Paula Dean and Target, Lance Armstrong and Nike.
While it’s impossible to completely avoid the risk of scandal, investing in the selection process and drawing up a contract with a strong morals clause and the ability to exit quickly are ways to diminish the possible threat.
In choosing a celebrity to represent your brand be sure that the celeb has a positive reputation. Avoid any controversial figures, a celebrity with a negative reputation can damage your brand. It’s also important to find a celebrity who matches your brand, appeals to your target demographic, and fits your budget.
Using celebrities in video marketing campaigns can be wildly successful. These days, a celebrity video can tap into the social media following of celebrities. That is direct access to thousands of eyes for a brand or product in addition to the credibility of a celebrity endorsement. To take advantage of this access, make sure you hire a professional video production agency with experience working with celebrities and creating high-quality content that stands out on social media.
If you’re looking for a way to boost your site’s conversion rates and produce financial returns, featuring a celebrity in your next video to promote your brand and sell your products may be the answer. At Blend, our professional creative team in Los Angeles has the experience to produce video marketing content featuring a celebrity spokesperson that compels your target audience into action. If you’re interested in adding a celebrity video into your digital marketing strategy we can help, contact Blend Today.