The Pulling Power of Beckham

There can be no doubt about the huge pulling power of international celebrities like Madonna, Brad Pitt and David Beckham. These people will raise the profile of any product. At a hefty price.

This has worked very well for some companies, Craghoppers, for example have found an excellent spokes person in Bear Grylls.

(Photo by gogae.rich)

The question as to whether lesser known celebrities have their place in advertising and marketing is extremely interesting. I feel that it depends on the products that they are promoting. Not everyone will have heard of youngster Andrew Reynolds, but a significant amount of young men who are interested in skateboarding (and that’s a fair few) will tell you that he is one of their heroes. Therefore, it follows that if he was recruited to promote a skating product (or should that be sk8ing?) sales figures and product prominence might be significantly improved. I doubt he would do very well if associated with a different kind of brand, like denim jeans or toddlers clothing ranges. Then again, many celebrities would not necessarily have personal associations with these products, but due to their prominence would arouse interest. I imagine Kylie Minogue and Johnny Depp could put their names to anything and see a result.

Companies need to conduct research into exactly what kind of associations the public have with specific products and celebrities (of every stature) and in a niche market could certainly get away with using a lesser celebrity. In fact, using a ‘working man’s hero’ might even add kudos and exclusivity to the brand; it is seen as something for those people who really know their subject. It would probably also be seen as a more sincere advertising campaign. I think that there is a section of the population who have become jaded with advertising hype and gloss and would find this kind of endorsement more genuine and appealing. It might feel more like a personal recommendation than an obvious attempt to sell. This kind of celebrity selling this kind of product would definitely have ‘referral power’.

In this day and age where all manner of people become celebrities at a moment’s notice, through vehicles like YouTube and even Big Brother, the range of celebrities on offer has never been greater. If a Z-lister can attract as many customers as an
A-lister at a fraction of the price then it makes sense to use them. The people who were never in the market for the niche product will be unaware and unaffected and nothing will be lost. The marketing campaign needs to always match the company budget, of course, and the intention would be to maximise impact with a minimal spend.

When advertising products with a wider consumer base, it would probably make more sense to use a celebrity of a higher profile, but only market research can offer the company in question appropriate guidance as to where to invest their budget.