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Do youth actually give a damn that Britney signed a deal with Pepsi?
Does Vince Carter's endorsement of Gatorade, Kellogg's Canada, Pizza Pizza, Nike and Trebor Allan candies actually improve all these companies' brand images and penetration of the youth market?
There's no question that the use of high-profile athletes or entertainers can boost awareness of a brand. The trick is to make sure the message is relevant and being noticed for the right reasons. According to Ruth Corbin, President of Toronto research company 'Decision Resources', there are three main criteria marketers need to keep in mind when selecting a celebrity spokesperson:
1. Consistency of values with the target audience and company
What does the spokesperson stand for? McDonald's Restaurants of Canada looks for athletes who display a sense of community, excellence and fair play. Beside the fact that Vince Carter is leading the scoring and was the number one choice in last year's All-Star Game and slam-dunk competition, it is his positive image of being accessible, drug-free and enthusiastic in his support for youth-related charities that ranks him as a favored spokesman.
2. Likeability of the spokesperson
What is their road-to-success story and personality? The spokesperson has to be admired by and intriguing to the mainstream. Hostess Frito Lay's heaviest consumption group is teens to 35 year olds. In the late 1990s, Hostess wanted a young Canadian spokesperson for its chips and hired Friends star and Canadian born Matthew Perry to represent their product to the "bull's eye of the target".
3. Plausibility of the spokesperson using and selling the product
The consumer must believe that the celebrity or athlete would use the product or service he or she is promoting. Using Mario Lemieux in a TV ad for dishwasher detergent might not work so well. Viewers would likely have a difficult time picturing him cleaning up after dinner - apron and all.
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Acquiring a hip, hot, recognizable celebrity can be risky business. Many companies want to land popular, cutting edge, contemporary stars. However, since athletes and entertainers tend to reach their zenith at a young age, rising stars don't always meet the model of well-rounded maturity. One could argue that celebrities, especially young ones, are perhaps more prone to unforeseen circumstances that could tarnish a golden image. Endorsements by celebs can certainly create positive associations with the brand, but they do have potential pitfalls.
Witness the legal flap concerning Drew Carey's deal with A&W Food Services. A&W was looking for a way to increase its relevancy with the 18-34 year olds, while still using the lovable Root Bear in its advertising. A&W felt Carey and the Root Bear exhibited similar characteristics of "Huggable, Lovable and Irresistible". All was well until the sitcom star's character ate at a competing fast-food chain on the show. Carey's contract was quickly nixed!
The possibility of "misappropriation of personality" in the use of a celebrity's name, photo or other traits from commercial purposes is another risk associated with spokespeople. In the past two years there have been three major Canadian cases involving Tim Horton's, Glenn Gould and a national ad campaign using unknown and non-consenting students sitting on a step in Montreal. Dead celebrities are also protected by common law. If a celebrity is marketable after his/her death, their estate can prevent the unauthorized use of any identifiable aspect of that celebrity. Thus, celebrity endorsement can become quite a hairy-legal endeavor! Watch out for those Britney Spears Look- Alikes!!
The popularity of peer-to-peer advertising carries a host of potential pitfalls:
1. The tendency to pigeonhole teens into stereotypical genres. Youth see this as a clear sign that the company simply doesn't understand them. They may listen to Eminem's music, but that is no indication that they want to eat the same food he "allegedly" eats. Perhaps the fact that Vince Carter is used to promote more than 10 different brands suggests the limited scope of companies' hot list of teen-oriented celebrities.
2. Using images of ordinary people shares some of the same concerns as using celebrities. It raises the question of whether ordinary people share the same rights as celebrities in protecting the use of their images. Canadian law has yet to address the non-celebrity question in a definitive manner.
So, what's the best means for creating the right attention and delivering the most potent message about your product/service to youth? As we have said time and time again, authenticity is paramount with youth. Contrary to the popular misconception, youth are not frivolous, impulsive shoppers. Despite the relatively high levels of Canadian teen and young adult disposable incomes, they are conscious of value, and are wary of not "getting hosed." While a spokesperson may increase their awareness of your brand, it alone won't convince them to buy your product (especially if it is a larger ticket item).
The best approach is to demonstrate the value of the brand and educate them on the benefits of using a celebrity/spokesperson through an alternative to straight television spots. Clairol Canada hit the mark with its Natural Instincts hair colour promotion. They joined forces with MuchMusic, and decided to colour the popular VJ "Rick the temp's" hair, live on national television. The brand was able to get almost ten minutes of free product placement and demonstration by an on-air celebrity who was a "known favourite" of the target group. The event also succeeded in growing the brand's market share by 6%.
Tiger Woods took the product-endorsement via demonstrable-use technique to a whole new level when he decided to undergo laser eye surgery. The lucky company later used this to promote their service. Nothing creates more confidence and goodwill toward a company than having a high-profile celebrity put their livelihood in your hands!
However, for those brands that haven't saved a celebrity career, life or limb, select a spokesperson who speaks directly to youth and create a way of showcasing your product in a genuine manner.
Written By: Joanna Erdman and Lori McKnight.
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