It might be easy to underestimate how much we are influenced by celebrities. The fashion of the famous is everywhere these days, discussed in tabloids, TV and social media as well as actively promoted by major figures through sponsorship deals.
It’s estimated that Brits spend roughly £6 billion a year in an attempt to tap into the celebrity lifestyle and that includes the fashion industry. One of the most popular sectors in fashion is sportswear, which sees plenty of celebrity endorsements each year. But how does that impact consumers?
Celebrity endorsement can be an extremely successful marketing method that draws in plenty of cash for sportswear brands. However, when these brands choose the wrong celebrity to endorse their products, it can have detrimental effects on the brand’s reputation. Read on to find out more.
Choosing the right celebrity for your market
When choosing who you want to represent your brand, you’ll need to pick a celebrity that will resonate with your target market.
If your products are marketed at people in their early twenties, for example, you’re not going to connect with them if you make a deal with someone most famous for being on TV in the 1990s.
If you have the resources to cast a wide net, though, you can hit multiple target audiences at once. A good example of this is the Apple Watch which is worn by celebrities all over the world.
As customers see their favourite celebs wearing these watches, they’ll be more inclined to purchase them – whether they realise it or not. Buying products favoured by wealthy celebrities can be expensive, however – it’s why many consider insurance that might help to protect investments like watches.
Brand values
The celebrity whom you choose should also hold values which align to those of your brand. It’s best to avoid any PR scares if these should ever come into conflict.
A recent example of this was the collapse of Kanye West’s deal with sportswear brand Adidas. Outbursts of hate speech from West saw Adidas come under fire for being in business with him.
Stocks and sales felt the effects of consumers’ unwillingness to support a brand which could be seen to be tacitly endorsing such behaviour, leading Adidas to cut ties with the rapper.
Has social media played a part?
Social media has played a huge role in shaping influencer and celebrity marketing. There are more than 57 million social media users in the UK, which is a huge audience to target directly with advertising and branded content.
Sportswear brands can now team up with celebrities to directly push sportswear products to their followers in increasingly precise target markets.
With so many famous faces active on social media, it’s easy to identify suitable names who can speak to the people whom they want to reach.