Celebrity power as a Marketing Tool

March 4, 2010 1 Comment

Who will open the new mall?

The above sentence is something that I note everywhere: outdoor posters, local newspaper ads, flyers, etc. My immediate reaction: “Who cares? Isn’t celebrity power a thing of the past?”

Celebrity power as an advertising strategy

Celebrity power has always been an advertising strategy, mostly known as the “celebrity endorsements phenomenon”. The logic is sort of the following: The coercive power of a celebrity results in all people wanting and buying that good.

Everyone a celeb?

In today’s world, everyone is a celebrity – or at least they have the ability to become one using their own power. Just look at reality TV-shows such as “Idols”, “Master cook” , “Big Brother” , “Expedition Robinson” , etc.

Everyone a celebrity within a specific ‘market’?

In today’s digital network society people are all celebrities within a certain “market”. Maybe this will prove to be the genuine coercive power of advertising instead of global stars? We’ll see…

A powerful example of celebrity marketing?

Despite the above, I found an ad where I believe the celebrity is used effectively: an ad for “Hanes” panty starring Jennifer Love Hewitt. This ad uses the celebrity in a good way because of the powerful copy (baseline: “look who we’ve got our hanes on now”). What’s more: it uses the “sexiness” of the celebrity. Nice :-)

Jennifer Love Hewitt as "celebrity endorsement"

Jennifer Love Hewitt as "celebrity endorsement"

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Cycling: a unique marketing opportunity?

February 28, 2010 Leave a comment

New cycling season : new brands

I agree, I do like cycling. Not just doing it myself but as a passive sportsman: watching it on the television. It’s also exciting however from a sponsorship side of view. Every year when the new season starts, I meet new brands. I rarely learn what the brands stand for actually. This year’s list of new teams (read: new sponsors):

  • FOOTON-SERVETTO
  • SKY PROFESSIONAL CYCLING TEAM
  • TEAM HTC – COLUMBIA
  • TEAM RADIOSHACK

New brands on top of my mind … but !

The above brands will be top of mind if you ask me “name a brand”. Nevertheless, I will never know what these brands are about (unless I browse them or meet them by accident). This was a starting point for a quick reflection on marketing opportunities in sport sponsorship, in particularly cycling.

Marketing strategy on cycling sponsorship?

I doubt the effectiveness of sponsoring a cycling team. I mean, it costs a lot of money and I doubt whether it’s earned back. Nevertheless: brand owners, keep sponsoring cycling teams! I love the sport and you have a broader task then just selling your products!

Better ways to involve marketing-wise in cycling races?

Another thing I noticed is the ability to get free “advertising space” during cycling races. Tomorrow there is a finish of a “Classic Flemish Cycling Race” not far from where I live. The streets are flanked with a lot of trucks – all hoping to receive a glimpse of the television camera. I believe this will prove to be a more effective way to involve in cycling compared to the sponsorship of UCI Pro Cycling Team. Reasons: local marketing opportunities, free, …

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Power of mobile web for newspaper publishers

February 26, 2010 Leave a comment

The power of mobile websites

Half a year ago I finally got myself a smartphone. Hooray for the “laggards” (referring to Rogers Adoption of Innovation studies)! Since then I’m able to browse the worldwide web on my mobile phone. My preferred mobile websites are social network sites and a website of a newspaper. Why? Both have done their best to create a website (or even an iPhone app) that is optimized for mobile devices.

The power of a good news website
I never read that financial-economic newspaper before. However, I started reading it on my mobile device for usability reasons. After a while I noticed that I also browsed their website for news on my laptop. I liked the website for providing news very fast, the e-book feature, etc. That website also offered the printed version for free for 2 months… I agreed… Now I read the printed version of a newspaper that I disliked before!

Reading on paper is a habit / ritual

The marketer of the newspaper truly hopes that I will enjoy the printed version that much that I will sign up for a year. Maybe a 2 months free trial will not be sufficient to get me as a full-time reader. Nonetheless, providing free time to learn to read on paper, to enjoy the paper, to make a habit of reading a printed version while drinking your morning coffee, etc… might prove to be effective. Maybe the romanticism of reading on “yellow, dirty” paper will empower the effect?

What’s the power of mobile web for a newspaper?
It got me reading a printed newspaper (for at least 2 months!) that I’d never bought or read before.

Filed under Business, Economy, Marketing, Media, Society, Software & Technology Tagged with , , , , , , ,

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