Research on Brand Endorser and Consumer Perception
Introduction
Celebrities, or endorsers, are personified by
the public as heroes or idols, and are recognized by a large population. These celebrities are widely known for their popularity,
lifestyles, attractiveness, personalities, or appeal. Celebrity endorsements for products can have
both positive and negative ramifications in advertising.
Research on Brand Endorser and Consumer Perception
The best
endorsements achieve the right balance of product and celebrity match-ups. Choosing the right endorser for a specific
product can have a strong appulse on consumer perception. Therefore, by matching up the right endorser
for a product can be beneficial in that the persuasive message will initiate
consumer/product congruency. These
endorsements give a company’s brand a recognizable face, that in return, will
build a brand’s image, generate consumer awareness, and finally, create product
success. Choosing the right celebrity
for the right product is imperative for successful endorsements, which is based
on celebrity appearance, level of popularity, personality, or appeal. Moreover, advertisements that are endorsed by
celebrities have a higher recall rate, than products that are not endorsed by
celebrities.
Most of the American population is obsessed with
celebrities, from what they wear, to the houses they live in, the cars they
drive, and their relationship statuses.
People want to know all about their celebrity favorites. These celebrities have become idols that are
depicted in tabloids, magazines, entertainment television, talk shows, internet
gossip columns, as well as endorsers for advertisements. Celebrity endorsements can affect a
consumer’s perception about the brand being endorsed.
A celebrity’s image plays an integral role in a product’s
advertisement, especially since audiences feel as though they know them
personally. Some people idolize their
favorite celebrities to a point where they emulate them, therefore, positive
influence is associated with the persuasive message that celebrities can
portray with the advertised product. The
positive effects that celebrity endorsers generate are the unique attention to
an advertisement and brand that a non-celebrity can formulate. The unique qualities of a celebrity can have
a positive impact on a brand, such as revamping, creating, or enhancing a
brand’s image. On the other hand, the
lifestyle of a celebrity (endorser) can have a negative impact on a brand’s
image, if the endorser has created an image that is indubitably scandalous,
especially in the eyes of the consumer, hence, placing a negative implication
on the brand’s image.
One of the factors that celebrity endorsers can give to an
advertisement message is credibility, through their recognizable, high profile
image. Celebrity endorsers are
considered more credible than an endorser that is a non-celebrity, which in
turn, may influence consumer purchases and attitudes toward a particular
brand. However, careful consideration of
celebrity/product match must be implemented, for a celebrity may be the right
choice to endorse one brand, but not for another brand, this is based on
consumer perception of a celebrity’s unique image.
Furthermore, the celebrity’s unique image is transferred
onto the products they endorse. Those
consumers that emulate their celebrity idols may be influenced to purchase
products that are endorsed by the celebrities, in order to create their ideal
self-image, as becoming like the celebrity idols they want to emulate. There is a Para
social interaction between celebrities and consumers, which is channeled by
“fantasy relationships” that have been created by consumers because of mass
media’s repetitive imagery of celebrities, thus creating fictitious
interpersonal relationships with celebrity figures. These fictitious interpersonal relationships
can steer consumer’s attitudes and behaviors toward the celebrity endorser, the
product endorsement, and the product itself.
Thus, favorable responses are generated when consumers perceive the
images and meanings of the represented celebrity endorsement as desirable.
Example of a good
product-endorser match and its implications.
Endorser/product
match-ups, good or bad, have significant implications on a brand’s short- term
health. One of the best product-endorser
matches is of sports celebrity, and National Basketball Association (NBA)
legendary point-guard, Michael “Air” Jordan, who was an endorser for the
sporting goods company, Nike, Inc., during the 1990s. Jordan was renowned for his ability
to defy gravity, while dunking a basketball from the foul line. His Nike basketball shoes “Air Jordan ”,
and apparel, accounted for 5% of Nike’s revenue, approximately $370
million. The good match-up between
Michael Jordan and Nike produced an extremely positive outcome for the
company’s brand image, as well as increased sales of Nike products, and winning
against the advertising clutter. Michael
Jordan’s sports icon image was a perfect match for sporting good products. This product/endorser match had a positive
impact on the brand’s image because of its incontrovertible promotion, as well
as the good fit between product and endorser, thus cultivating a brand’s short-
term health.
Example
of a bad product-endorser match and its implications.
Product/endorser
congruency is the gateway to the success of product endorsements. A deleterious effect can infiltrate a product
endorsement, if a product endorser has negative characteristics, such as
overexposure, which may lead to the loss of the endorser’s creditability. An example of an endorser with this negative
characteristic is Tiger Woods, infamous for his expert skills in professional
golf. Even though Tiger is considered
the world’s best professional golfer of all time, his endorsement deals, at one
time, included Rolex, Nike, Target, American Express, EA Sports,
Titleist, Accenture, Buick, Tag Heuer, simultaneously. Even though some of these product/celebrity
match-ups made sense, such as Titleist, Nike, and EA Sports, too many
endorsements at one time, leads to over exposure, in return, consumers may not
believe the endorser, and the endorser’s usage of the product, which could have
a negative impact on a product’s short-term health.
Conclusion
Celebrities (endorsers) have an influential
power in the advertising arena. A celebrity’s
popularity, as well as admiration among consumers influences consumer
purchasing behavior, as well as consumer perception of a product or brand. However, endorser selection is critical in
promoting a brand, hence; the wrong selection can have severe ramifications on
a brand’s image and promotion in the short-term, whereas a good selection can constitute
a positive brand image and promotion, in addition to, benefiting a brand’s short-
term health, as well as consumer believability of the endorser/product
dynamic.
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