The use of celebrities for advertisements: is this a good idea?

Des marques comme Dolce & Gabbana, qui sollicite Kit Harington et Emillia Clarke, les célèbres acteurs de l’incontournable série Game of Thrones, n’hésitent pas à profiter de la notoriété de stars pour faire valoir leurs publicités.If this strategy remains used by many companies, promoting through a celebrity can also understand risks ... Back on this phenomenon also called "Celebrity Marketing".

Le « celebrity marketing»» : une technique prisée par les marques

In recent decades, the "Celebrity Marketing" has gradually imposed itself in our advertisements.This technique simply consists of creating a partnership between a brand and a "star".Initially used in the luxury sector, it has, over the years, conquered all areas: cosmetics, food, optics ... For both parties, it is a question of associating their image within several communication tools.Celebrities are then remunerated as icons or muses of the brand and, in return, companies benefit from their notoriety and the influence they exert on the consumer.

The customer has, in fact, more likely to be attracted by the position of a known person. La firme H&M l’a, à ce propos, bien compris puisqu’elle a sollicité David Beckham ou encore Beyoncé pour booster ses ventes.

A partnership based on the sharing of values

Celebrities lend, of course, their image but also their "qualities", which the company will often associate with the products it wishes to sell.Firms must thus, in the choice of their partners, have as the main criterion "the sharing of the values of the brand", in order to convey a positive image to the consumer.

For example, Findus and Chef Cyril Lignac.The interest of this collaboration was to associate the recipes of a star cook with individual cooked dishes, which has been a great success to the brand.Who never wanted to taste a dish of a star chef for € 3.90?The Ferrero brand, on the other hand, favored the choice of athletes like Tony Parker to inflate its turnover.According to Anne Catherine Barret, Marketing Director of Kinder, "what interests us are the values of solidarity, of humanity that they [the stars, editor's note] carry".An implicit way, for brands, to imply their commitment to the French.

Celebrities who must be impeccable

Thus the link between Nike and Neymar Asubi a few setbacks in recent years, due to the tax disentangles in Spain when he was playing at FC Barcelona (2013-2017), his simulations at the 2018 World Cup, which covered him with ridicule according toHis detractors, and his repeated injuries at Paris SG who threw a shadow on the Santransfert in 2017 to which SR are added the accusations of rape issued by a young Brazilian woman last year.Nike then expressed his "deep concern".And we cannot deny that Neymar has tarnished his image.

From stars to influencers, there is only one step ...

International stars like George Clooney, in Nespresso advertising, have already proven themselves.Who has not already in mind the famous phrase "What Else"?Today, with a connected generation, it is, also and above all, the influencers who are placed on the front of the stage and who are increasingly prized by brands.Present on Instagram, YouTube or on their blogs, these influencers are followed by millions of people.This gives rise to advantageous partnerships for brands like Maybelline of the L’Oréal group, which has decided to associate with the first Youtubeuse Beauté de France, Enjoy-Phoenix.La Redoute also followed the phenomenon by placing it as the face of their new ready-to-wear collection.

Contact influencers, amounts to addressing a wider but also faithful audience.Thus, some brands offer, free of charge, their products to certain influencers so that they make the test or even the promotion within articles or videos.Also note that to call on an influencer in an advertisement returns, in principle, cheaper than if you called on stars whose prices can result in millions of euros ...

A double -edged strategy ...

It is proven, using a celebrity to boost sales and enhance the brand image can be borne fruit but beware of "bad buzz".

Bank Le Crédit Lyonnais paid the price by requesting Gad Elmaleh, however appreciated by the French.A bad buzz that went around the web.On Twitter, a surfer, under the pseudo of "Iamkhaian", publishes: "I do not know who advertised LCL with Gad Elmaleh but we only see the false laughs of the public, it really discredits everything ..." First critic'A long series ...

Last point, remember not to ask for someone who already represents several brands, it would dedicate your advertising of originality, which is, of course, not the goal.On the Figaro website, Sandra Painbéni, Marketing teacher at EBS Paris, explains: "Sometimes it is better to choose another marketing technique rather than to be mistaken in the choice of celebrity.»»