Tuesday 21 February 2017

Introduction

Introduction to Celebrity Endorsement



Hey! My name is Lucy, away to turn 20 years old and currently studying Public Relations and Advertising at North East Scotland College in Aberdeen. I’m in my second year of college and while all my classmates head off into their third year of university I’m away off gallivanting round Australia starting in August. Call me crazy, because I know I am! When I come back I intend to settle in a job in the Public Relations sector. But enough about me, that’s not what this blog is about!

This blog will be focusing on the celebrity endorsement that surrounds us on a daily basis. From the most famous faces on your TV to the Z list celebrities posting teeth whitening tips on their Instagram. This is something that intrigues me. Imagine being paid to simply upload a picture to your Instagram or write a tweet saying a product is good. Wouldn’t mind doing that if you ask me.






So let’s start with a definition, sounds boring I know. You’re reading a blog not sat in a marketing class – but we have to start somewhere. Celebrity endorsement is often used within an advertising or PR campaign using a celebrity or well-known person and their platform to promote a product to encourage the public to buy it. If the celebrity has good press, then that can rub off on the products, they are promoting. Pretty simple really, if Kim Kardashian says it works then it must be true, right?

So when did celebrity endorsement start? A long time ago I’ll tell you that! It was first used a lot by tobacco companies, and is questionable if celebrities were even aware their face was being used to endorse a brand at this time. It then expanded from there, getting bigger and bigger, especially in the 1990’s when it started becoming news if a company announced a press conference. People became excited about it, who’s going to be the face of Nike? If its someone you aspire to, then you’re saving up for a new pair!

Whether you realise it or not, this is something you’ll be seeing hundreds of times a day. Originally this may have just been in adverts on TV, billboards magazines but very suddenly celebrity endorsement seems to have taken over my Instagram feed. With lots of famous faces, i'm following posting discount codes to clothes stores, or how to lose a stone within a certain period of time! It’s everywhere!


If you think about it, it’s incredibly smart. Half the time I actually do find myself clicking on a link because Chloe from Geordie Shore’s giving me 20% off a clothes company I’ve never heard of. This is exactly what companies want – sales. This is generally the main reason for a company to endorse, as well trying to branch out to a larger audience and create a stronger identify. The more recent use of social media platforms allows brands to connect and engage with consumers, through the use of a celebrities Instagram account making endorsement so much wider and easier than it used to be.

Over the next few months I will be writing posts exploring different aspects, such as the best and worst endorsements, endorsement in different sectors such as sport and how much does this actually affect people? Keep an eye out for these posts.