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Does You
Business Need to See Stars?!
Do
Celebrities Help Get You That Little Extra “Somethin’ Somethin’?
By Las Vegas’ Goddess of Marketing: Mary Ann McQueen Butcher
When celebrities appear in a company's advertisements, it can
create a very LOUD buzz. Typically, this happens for two
reasons: We are unconsciously drawn to the familiar. So, right
off the bat, the presence of a celebrity gives many customers an
extra reason to stop and pay attention to the ad. Second is the
widespread belief that a celebrity appearance in an ad
represents a true endorsement - that the celebrity uses the
product and believes it to be better than its competitors.
Sometimes the usage of celebrity endorsements can carry the same
weight for customers as a recommendation from a friend.
While the illusion is that the celebrity is endorsing the
vendor's product or service, the job of celebrity spokesperson
is strictly business. So my opinion is, IF you can afford the
celebrity's fee, you have as good an opportunity of attracting
the celebrity's services as any other company. And many
celebrities cost much less than one would expect. A well-known
person might work on a television commercial for $10,000 or less
per day. To the celebrity, $10,000 per day is very nice income.
To the business owner, who then runs that ad on television 100
times, the talent fee-per-appearance is really quite small.
Celebrity spokespersons are usually represented by agents who
serve as brokers. If you're interested in contracting the
services of a celebrity spokesperson, go ahead and contact one
of the many agents here AND in Los Angeles. Describe your
business goals, and then ask for recommendations on available
celebrities who best fit your product or promotion.
The key to making celebrities work for a company is finding
someone who will be credible for your product. You NEED a good
fit for your specific demographic. For example, let’s say you
are marketing an energy drink; even if the celebrity comes to
you dirt cheap, if your target demo is Men 18-34, you won’t want
to pick someone over 65 that doesn’t look healthy. Just doesn’t
make sense. The closer the fit, the greater the perceived
endorsement value
Secondly, if you are receiving outside funding from angel
investors, you’d better be able to justify spending your ROI on
a celebrity spokesperson. Think of all the money that was spent
during the Dot Com boom in the ‘90s. Much of it was wasted on
stars hawking companies that had poorly made products or
services. Invest in YOU and YOUR COMPANY before you spend on a
star.
 I
can give you a personal example. When I was consulting for
Westfield Shoppingtowns (they are a global shopping mall/real
estate investment trust), I hired Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of
York. She was a perfect fit for the company because we portrayed
her as both royalty (by marriage) and a working mom. Once the
integrated marketing campaign hit, there was A LOT of buzz.
During the period when the Duchess was the center of our
campaign, shopper foot traffic went up 18% and sales went up
7%. Oh and by the way, Sarah Ferguson wasn’t really that
expensive. The moral to the story: Inexpensive talent, good
fit and a spike in sales. That is measurable success.
Next week: MEDIA BUYING: The Right Mix for Your Company
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