The New Way Of Celebrity Endorsements: How Influencer Marketing Changed The Game

We have always seen hoardings and billboards as kids with celebrities endorsing a product, many times we have seen what they’re endorsing but maybe we don’t relate to it. Why? Because we know the lives of these celebrities are very different from ours. Celebrities have been endorsing products and influencing public purchasing decisions for decades. Celebrity endorsement was traditionally thought to provide a distinct differentiation in a market with a high proliferation of local, regional, and international brands. Lately, brands have jumped on to this Influencer marketing bandwagon. In fact, according to a Linqia study, 86 per cent of marketers used influencer marketing in 2016.

WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?

Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that relies on endorsements and product mentions from influencers–individuals who have a large social following and are regarded as experts in their field. Influencer marketing works because it can aid in the development of trust between a brand and its customers. Customers are more likely to believe a brand is reliable and trustworthy when it is endorsed by someone they respect.

WHAT IS CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT?

Celebrity endorsement is a type of marketing campaign that uses celebrities to promote a brand’s product, or service, or raise funds for a cause. The most significant benefit of celebrity endorsement is that it can help a brand achieve widespread recognition. Customers will recall you by the names of their favourite celebrities who endorse your brand.

INFLUENCER MARKETING VS CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS

There is a considerable difference between getting your product endorsed by a celebrity and an Influencer. Let’s say, A company pays someone with a large following to endorse their product. With a celebrity endorsement, a brand can attain a huge reach. The customers remember you by the names of their favourite celebrities who endorse your brand. However, an influencer’s followers believe that the endorsement comes from a more thorough and genuine source than something as simple as a signed contract between a brand and a famous person.

While the two parties usually have a formal agreement, influencers are usually more selective about their affiliations. To avoid alienating their followers, they choose to partner with brands that reflect their own distinct personal brands.

They have worked hard to build their following, and they will not jeopardise it by endorsing a product that does not fit in their niche or is not likeable by their audience. Whereas Celebrity product endorsements are less about engaging a niche audience and more about associating a person’s name recognition with a specific brand, regardless of how large the audience is.

Let’s take you down memory lane, if you’re a 90s kid you may have seen big actresses doing LUX soap advertisements. The advertisements looked appealing but everyone was aware of the fact that the actresses did not use them which therefore lacked credibility and trustworthiness whereas Influencer marketing has in-built credibility whenever they market any product.

As the digital medium has grown in popularity, ‘influencers’ have emerged as the newest endorsers. And why this has happened is because of the relatability, Influencers are people just like us who possess skills in a particular domain and have a massive fan following. Brands have discovered a new and cost-effective way to communicate their message. They are effectively utilising influencers/bloggers these days, particularly in the food, beauty, and lifestyle segments. Influencers have become an essential component of a brand’s marketing metrics. This rising popularity of Influencers has led celebrities to have a strong digital presence so that brands can get maximum usage out of a person.

Is it correct to say that the rise of influencers has changed the game for endorsements or do you have any other opinion? Tell us in the comments.

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