Five Things That Will Turn Your Celebrity Endorser into a Brand Ambassador
By Gerry David, CEO and President, Celsius Holdings, Inc.Celebrity endorsers can have a profoundly positive effect on your business if they are chosen carefully. However, they can negatively affect you and your company’s reputation if selected haphazardly. Finding the right celebrity to endorse your business is vital, and if done correctly, can turn your celebrity endorser into a genuine brand ambassador.
You want a talking heart, not a talking mouth
When choosing a celebrity endorser, it is vital to consider who they are as a person. A good celebrity endorser is open, warm and friendly. You want someone who has a big heart. When choosing a celebrity to stand behind your brand, ask yourself if you would consider that person a friend. Is this a person you would want to be around and spend time with?You also need to ask yourself if you would trust them. Flo Rida, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Blake Koch are celebrities who currently endorse our brand. I chose them for a reason; they all have big hearts, and I knew I wanted my brand to be affiliated with them before I made the decision to hire them.
Do they lead a clean life both inside and out?
Your customers will start to associate your celebrity endorser with your brand. If your endorser is not a good person, working with them will reflect on the image and reputation of your business. If they have a reputation for exhibiting poor behavior, that image will get associated with your brand. But if they live a good life, that will also reflect on your brand. Therefore, it is important to know the lifestyle choices of a potential endorser before hiring them. A good celebrity endorser is generous and kind. A good celebrity endorser helps others and gives back to the community. The best celebrity endorser is a model citizen, honorable, and a role model for others. When you choose an endorser who is adored by the public, that affection will be transferred to your brand.
Do they actually use your product?
It is important that they actually use your product on a daily basis. They need to believe in your product and the benefits it has to offer. If you choose a celebrity endorser who does not believe in your product, it will be apparent to your customers. The endorser will come across as incongruent and inconsistent, and it will hurt your brand. True passion cannot be faked. However, if you choose an endorser who does believe in your product, your customers will notice. When an endorser truly stands behind a product, it comes across in their tone of voice, facial expression and body language. This passion will make the message they send ten times more powerful.
Ask for their feedback!
You need to talk to your endorser and build a relationship with them. Ask them how they feel about your product, and ask them about their fans. They know their fans better than anyone. A good celebrity endorser will be able to tell you how their fans think and what makes them tick. The insight they offer will help you tailor your marketing message to their fans’ interests. This simple step will greatly enhance the effectiveness of your campaign; it allows you to connect to your customers on a deeper level. You will be able to speak directly to their needs. When you learn to speak directly to the needs of your customers, they will start to see you as a solution to their problem. This perception makes all the difference. Asking for your celebrity endorser's feedback also helps you form a connection with them. This connection will make them more eager to work with you. They will be more committed to deliver their message effectively and efficiently.
Create a synergy
Synergy is one of the most important factors in choosing the right celebrity. The celebrity and your product have to go together; they have to be a perfect fit. If there is no synergy between the celebrity endorser and your product, your marketing message will be significantly less effective. Without synergy, your marketing message will look forced, and it will look fake. Your customers have to believe your endorser is someone who would use your product. They have to know the values of your business are in perfect alignment with the values of your celebrity endorser. When you pick a celebrity endorser who has the same belief and values as your company, they will appear to be a perfect fit. When true synergy exists, your customers won’t even know they are watching a marketing message. It will seem as if their favorite celebrity is helping others by informing them of an amazing product, and this is what transforms your celebrity endorser into a true ambassador for your brand.[author]About the Author: Gerry David is the CEO and President of Celsius Holdings, Inc., the makers of Celsius healthy energy drink. A seasoned executive with over 41 years in the business sector, he has personally led 3 startups, overseen turnarounds at 5 companies and successfully managed businesses spanning 72 countries. Mr. David’s broad experience in manufacturing, product development, marketing, sales, regulatory, supply chain and finance provides the leadership a company requires as it moves in the 21st century, growing aggressively both domestically and internationally. [/author]
