Hiring a celebrity or choosing a brand ambassador to endorse a brand
Adding a celebrity or a brand ambassador to an advertisement campaign as part of a strategic plan can improve the brand limelight, influence consumers or induce them to buy, believe or overcome a hurdle depending on the endorsement strategy. The chocolate giant Cadbury used the positive image of Amitabh Bachchan to bail out the brand when it got caught in the controversy of 'worms in a bar of chocolate'.
Blind celebrity endorsements without a clear brand strategy and creative thinking could make the celebrity and the brand a misfit. Brands sometimes ignore the basics like "brand fit" when choosing a celebrity. It often results in promoting the celebrity rather than the brand. Celebrity misfit and lack of good creative ideas only produce pedestrian communication leading to the slow death of the brand.
When celebrities endorse too many brands the consumer makes incorrect brand associations or fails to recall the brand. Such proliferation in endorsements could result in a kaleidoscope of chaos and the brand could get lost in the noise and din of the marketplace.
Using celebrities could sometimes turn risky, and it can get the brand into trouble if the celebrity gets into any rough weather. When actor Salman Khan was accused of shooting a black buck (an endangered species), it affected many brands endorsed by him. He could even be perceived as a heartless hunter by consumers. The celebrity's propensity to get into trouble or court controversy is to be carefully evaluated before choosing a celebrity.
Celebrities are best used for product launches, repositioning of a brand, entering a new market or an unknown territory, mitigating a tarnished image, or relaunches because a celebrity brings four value add-ons, namely four 'A's:
1. Attention (familiar face)
2. Association (with their core traits and reputation)
3. Aspiration (with their unique stature)
4. Assurance (with their credibility and trust)
A thoughtful brand thoroughly researches and evaluates its synergy with a celebrity, conducts extensive analysis and ensures a strong strategic alignment with the celebrity's relevance before committing to an endorsement.
