Choosing A Celebrity Spokesperson

Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan for Samsung

A celebrity can have a huge impact on a brand – and the company hopes they will – but this means that when a company decides to use a celebrity as a spokesperson or “brand ambassador”, they have to carefully consider who they select to be the “face” of their product.

Evaluating A Spokesperson

1. Recognisability: A celebrity spokesperson has to be someone who is immediately recognisable. Traditional advertisements don’t have time to explain who the person is and indirect marketing especially requires the public to know who the person is (otherwise they're just any other person on the street!
2. Demographic appropriateness: Who is it the company is marketing to and which celebrities do those people like
3. Consider level of exposure: too many endorsement deals confusing and too strong of a personal brand might overshadow rather than compliment the product
4. Consider the celebrity’s social risk: Drug and alcohol use, aggressive behaviour, eating disorders, sexual exploits, strong political or religious ideas - any one of these factors can negatively affect the public’s perception of the product the celebrity is promoting. However, some companies want a celebrity who is a little rebellious. It just depends on the type of product and the target audience.
5. Overall effectiveness: Is the celebrity attractive, likable, popular, and honest?

Think about some current celebrity spokespeople. Why do you think they were hired by these companies?