The Effect of Celebrity Endorsements in Advertising - Research Paper Example

Role of Celebrity Endorsement in Media communication Affiliation Table of Contents 3 Literature Review 4 Celebrate Endorsement5 The Effect of Celebrity Endorsements in Advertising6 Features that contribute to celebrities’ influence on audience7 Benefits of using celebrity endorsement9 References 12 Abstract The increasing marketing competition and brand multiplicity have showed growth in the usage of celebrity endorsement across the world. The usage of celebrity endorsement has a major brand communication strategy in companies, which helps in sale and promotion of brands all over the world. This paper scrutinizes celebrity endorsement as media communication tool that accelerates brands purchase and image. Keywords: celebrity endorsement, Media communication, brand Literature review Due to the continuous innovations in marketing for past decades, celebrity endorsers have become an excellent promotion tool. There are numerous definitions of celebrity endorsement and celebrities. Different researchers have different definitions for celebrity and celebrity endorsement. For instance, a celebrity is a name that requires no additional identification. Stars are recognized wherever they go and they are acknowledged with some awe and excitement. In most cases, whatever the celebrities do have a public value. Celebrities are often perceived as material for entertainment and media communication. Celebrities can also be described as persons who enjoy public acknowledgment and uses this acknowledgment in courtesy of a brand appearing in the advertisements. One of the recent definitions describes a celebrity as a person whose name has a profit generating value, attention –getting and interest riveting that originates from the high level of public interest and attention (Gupta 12). Celebrity is usually associated with individuals who are of the public eye and who have a high profile in the society; this can be in the entertainment industry, sports among others. These people can be used to promote products, ideas, services or organizations (Canning and West 3). Celebrities are named whose reputation connects producers and consumers through a product with which they are linked. Sometimes celebrities become familiar and famous once they appear in an advertisement. The ideal characteristics of a celebrity include trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, likeability and particular associations that bring out product relevancy. Celebrity endorsement Celebrity endorsement is a trend that has developed over some decades. Celebrity endorsement is a situation whereby celebrities use their names in advertising a product or a service for which they may be or may not be the expertise. It is a method that has been widely used a media communication tool, in promoting a consumer products and services. Celebrity endorsement is one of the communication method applied by marketers in building a harmonious image between the consumer and the brand. Organizations use one celebrity endorser for a particular brand or product though they may use other celebrities in their marketing campaign. The public recognizes a celebrity endorser for the achievements attained in other areas apart from the product endorsed. Studies show that there are three classifications of endorsers: regular consumer, celebrity, and expertise. The major distinction between the three types of the endorser is based on distinctive features. Regular users require no specialized knowledge of the brand being advertised. This means that they do not have information beyond the general use of the product. Regular consumers use their name and professions when endorsing a product. The major influential impact of the ordinary consumer as endorsers are primarily based on the account of perceived similarities, users feels an attraction with the endorser. Experts as their name imply, they have adequate expertise that is an element of the characteristic credibility. The main feature of these endorsers is that they have a vast knowledge about the brand, usually attained through studies and training or experience. Celebrities lead on the characteristic of familiarity, and they are mostly recognized in other areas apart from the product being advertised. The various celebrities include TV stars, sportsmen/women, film stars, musicians, scientist, and writers among others. The importance of celebrity endorsers in media communication strategies does not only stretch out the fact they are used by organizations to who desire to increase income, but they are also used to add value to the company, product or brand. Celebrity endorsement is also used in products that have a high-production cost and with a wide customer base. Celebrity endorsements are more likely to be used for nationally marketed brands compared to locally marketed products. Companies invest a lot of money in endorsing their products through celebrity endorsement with the belief that the endorsed products will add value to the reputation of the celebrity (Meenaghan and Mahony 78). Today, most television channels are using celebrity endorsers to market their products. The increase in recognition of celebrity endorsement can be accredited to the ability to obtain audience attention, therefore, giving entrepreneurs an appropriate time to communicate to their consumers (Erdogan 300). Most people believe that using celebrities helps customers remember the brand name and the advertisement message. It also helps in creating the personality of the product because when the celebrity is associated with the product, the image assists in shaping the image of that brand in the consumer’s minds. If bad information about either entity is put on show media, it may result in a damaged consumer valuation of both entities. Mass media can have influence both at public and personal level. Mass media have influence at a personal level by providing models and information that encourage changes either positively or negatively. At a public level, mass media create understanding to policy makers that may influence people’s decisions (Black, 2001, p. 200). In this competitive world, consumers are open to a thousand of images and voices in magazines, billboards, newspaper, websites, televisions and radio. Advertisers try to get at least a fraction of an individual’s time to inform him/her of the wonderful and different features of the brand in hand (White, 2000, p. 45). Due to the continuous media saturation that people face daily, they do not pay much attention to these marketing techniques (Belch, 2009, p. 58). Therefore, marketers have turned to celebrity endorsement as this hold consumer’s attention. Celebrity endorsement is an influential tool used by advertisers to promote their brands. Celebrity endorsement, if used successfully, makes the brand outstanding enhances instant awareness and facilitates brand recall. Celebrity endorsement helps a brand to be noticed, even though, there is stiff competition in the market. Celebrity endorsement has become a widespread form of advertisement. Studies show that twenty percent of all commercial televisions features at least on famous celebrities (Lancaster, 2012, p. 89). Advertising goal is to move consumers to an immediate action or move them through buyer-readiness. Advertisements are meant to change the consumer’s perception of a product or a brand. Media buyers think of a message that that would make an effective advertising message. Most media buyers opt to use personality symbols where a person is used to represent the product (Kolter, 2008, p. 159). The positive image of the celebrity makes the advertisement more persuasive. Use of attractive persons in televisions and advertisements influences the attitudes and beliefs of the consumers. In most cases, advertisers choose celebrity endorsement because of immense possible power as the most audiences see celebrities as their mentors. The Effect of Celebrity Endorsements in Advertising There is a conviction that media have powerful impacts on audiences directly or indirectly on their beliefs, attitudes or behaviors (Elizabeth, 2009, p. 345). It also influences observation of reality, the level of apprehension and many ways in which we think, act or feel. Celebrity endorsement helps in building trust with the existing and potential customers. It increases the chances for the product or brand to be remembered and increases chances for new customers. The endorsement may also increase consumer’s desire for a product. An increase in customer desire for a particular brand is often attained by assuming that a celebrity is successful, attractive or talented. However, there are cases when endorsement can work against the brand, in case the celebrity starts to get negative press. When a celebrity endorser images becomes stained by unethical, unconventionally or unusual behavior and allegation of illicit, it results in a lower opinion of the endorser and the product that is being advertised. The efficiency of a celebrity in endorsement relies upon three elements of the source that includes attractiveness, expertise and trustworthiness (Menon, 2005). Advertisers should choose celebrities who are good-looking and the most entertaining to the audience. People are influenced by the celebrity-endorsed products compared to non-endorsed promotions as Okarie & Aderogba (2011, p. 28) reveal. Features that contribute to celebrities’ influence on audience Identity Identity is about the people that an individual relates to an environment. It is quite possible to observe a person and get attracted to what he/she is doing (Westen, 2000, p. 123). The audience sees celebrities as very prestigious, important, and unique, and they would want to practice what they do to have a similar image of them. Association This desire to be attached to someone you live or socialize with as they are associated with a particular social class. Many audiences will like to be associated with particular celebrities, as they are perceived to be in a relatively higher class. Association mainly focuses on gaining a sense of belonging, which helps people connect with friends, family and society (Zikmundi, 2002, p. 456). Media Media releases a lot of information to the audience each day that may influence what we believe. There are differences seen in cognitive responses ass responded by the recipients of the information. In the non-endorsed situations recipient are more focused on the product and its characteristics while in endorsed situations audience concentrates on the celebrity. Benefits of using celebrity endorsement There are numerous advantages of using celebrity endorsement strategies to promote brands. Celebrities are often successful since they naturally create a lot of attention, and they recognized nationally (Choi, 2007, p. 310).One of the most significant benefits is that endorsement helps in maintaining consumer recall and attention. Studies show that people are likely to choose the celebrity endorsed products over on –endorsed products (Chan & Leung, 2013, p. 168). Additionally, celebrities help to shape a position in a competitive market, therefore, re-positioning the product or the brand in the market. Brand communication specialists believe that using celebrity can change consumers feeling and their intention to purchase (Belch & Belch, 2001, p. 436). Another primary advantage of using celebrity endorsement is that it offers a testimony for its brands and services, especially when the product or service has added to their celebrity. The more familiar a celebrity, the higher, the more likely users are to purchase the endorsed brands. For instance, Michael Jordan promoted Nike, he uses Nike branded shoes when he is training and playing basketball. Nike endorsement by a celebrity increased the turnover for Nike shoes in U.S and internationally. However, there are many drawbacks associated with celebrity endorsement. The brand can be pessimistically affected if the endorsement does not work in favor of the brand. The reputation of an endorser may be tarnished after endorsing the product (Ohanian, 1991, p. 50). For instance, three stained celebrities-Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Mike Tyson, blemished Pepsi-Cola. Because the celebrities’ behavior is reflected on the brand, these endorsers may become liabilities to the products they endorse. Many companies have suffered financially from the use of celebrity endorsement to promote their products. A celebrity may lose the popularity because of fail in professional performance. In conclusion, celebrity endorsement is a situation whereby celebrities use their names in advertising a product or a service for which they may be or may not be the expertise. It is a method that has been widely used a media communication tool, in promoting a consumer products and services. Studies show that there are three classifications of endorsers: regular consumer, celebrity, and expertise. The importance of celebrity endorsers in media communication strategies does not only stretch out the fact they are used by organizations to who desire to increase income, but they are also used to add value to the company, product or brand. . Celebrity endorsement, if used successfully, makes the brand outstanding enhances instant awareness and facilitates brand recall. Reference Belch, G. E., 2009. Advertising and Promotion. 2nd ed. Boston: McGraw-hillLrwin. Belch, M. & Belch, G., 2001. 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