Celebrity endorsements: Exploring the processes for finding the right celebrity to endorse a brand

Abstract

Celebrity endorsements are a popular business-to-consumer promotion strategy in the UK as well as internationally. This is with good reason: they provide a very emotional approach to product promotion. The rational explanation for the increasing use of the famous in marketing campaigns is simple. Endorsements are a promising means to counter limitations of conventional product differentiation. The process that companies pursue until an endorsement deal is signed may be emotional or rational. In this paper, the authors shed some light on endorser selection from a brand perspective and look into how brands arrive at being represented by a celebrity, the stakeholders that are involved in the process and whether the decision-making process is objective or intuitive. Real-life case studies depicting how Lindt and Roger Federer as well as OMV|BP and Hansi Hinterseer teamed up are presented for illustration.