PRIA Event – Celebrity Endorsement – Is it right for your campaign?

Last night, a few of us Stormettes went to Gotham on Oxford Street, Darlinghusrt, for PRIA’s Celebrity Endoresement seminar.

 

 

The evening was informative and relaxed, and we had the privelage of listening to four extremely talented and experienced professionals. The speakers were Craig Eardley, who played a big part in consulting the Greater Building Society’s famous collaboration with Jerry Seinfeld, Karen Eck, who managed the media relations for Oprah’s Australian tour, Charlotte Ferrand from Burston-Marstellar, who worked on the David Boon/ Canadian Club Whisky campaign, and celebrity talent manager Marina Paul, of IMG.

 

 

We felt that we took away a wealth of knowledge after attending the event, and would like to thank PRIA, and all the fantastic speakers.

 

 

Here are WordStorm’s DO’s and DON’Ts of celebrity endorsements, as taken from last nights event.

 

 

DO Aim high! If you don’t ask you don’t get! Surprisingly, what we found was that International celebrities are more attainable, as it is easier for them to make commitments outside their country!

 

 

DON’T just go for a celebrity because they’re a celebrity. The key to a great celebrity endorsement is brand alignment – write down what key messages you want to portray, and ensure that your celebrity

 

 

DO anticipate issues! Research all issues that are associated with your celebrity and prepare for the worst case scenario!

 

 

DON’T assume that others understand the value of PR – as PR practitioners, it is our job to reinforce the value of what we do!

 

 

DO announce a signing! This is great news for marketing media, and if the celebrity is big enough, the signing itself can generate PR before the campaign starts! This was the case of The Greater Building Society, who generated enough media coverage that paid for the campaign before it even launched!

 

 

DON’T overpromote or over-rely on your celebrity. Don’t forget that you’re a brand and you have a story to tell!

 

 

DO understand someone’s motivation. Why is this celebrity endorsing your brand? The answer should not be money. In Oprah’s case, the answer was effect. Oprah wanted content for her show, and she wanted to treat her audience. Understanding a celebrities motivation behind the endorsement of a product will help you understand how the brand will be perceived with the celebrity.

 

DON’T assume that celebrities are always the answer. Sometimes, it’s just not strategic to be using a celebrity.

 

 

DON’T let the star control the brand! Limit their talking, especially through social media.

 

 

DO understand that you aren’t just paying for a name. You’re buying an attitude, a legacy and a fan base, which is particularly relevant in the world of social media.

 

 

DON’T flood the market with too many endorsements. Don’t use a celebrity that is already endorsing something else. This will only create confusion, and the audience will then perceive the celebrity as money-hungry.

 

 

DO Get as much as you can out of your contract!

 

 

We learnt a lot at last nights event, and we hope our notes have helped you too!

 

 

Love, Tash and the Stormettes xxx

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