By Ritu Midha

However cynical one might get, celebrities do help a brand get noticed. Brands realise it and the
proof is in the number of celebrities endorsing cold drinks, detergents, mutual funds, hair colour,
personal care products and even a brand of battery. The scenario gets even more interesting in
case of mens innerwear, where one can see almost every brand in the category promoting itself on
the back of a celebrity. The belief perhaps is that consumer will wear the brand his favourite hero
wears, or maybe it is the only way to create a differentiation in a category.
Brands obviously do not spend crores on getting celebrity brand ambassadors and endorsers just
to be noticed, the ambition is for the celebrities brand image to rub off on their brand. Current
practice to select the celebrity are largely guided by judgment based on certain markers such as
popularity with press, number of success stories (films/ matches/ achievements), net worth, fees
they command, etc.
Interestingly, a recent celeb track pilot study conducted by Brandscapes Worldwide throws up
refreshing findings. The celeb track model measures celebrities on four parameters, namely
popularity, image attributes, media presence, and affiliation with category/brand.
Parvati Mahadev, Insights Consulting Partner, Brandscapes Worldwide explains, Celeb Track
decodes the standing of different celebs on critical dimensions that underpin a brand - trust,
appeal and relevance. By doing all this Celeb Track takes cognizance of the fact that there is more
to selecting a Celeb than just his or her current popularity rating.
She adds, Celeb Track works in two ways first, it allows the marketer to decode consumer opinion
about celebs in a scientific and hence reliable manner. Secondly, it recognizes the fact that there
are multiple facets to a marketing communication strategy, and celeb endorsements should help to
highlight the desired facet.
A few key insights from the pilot study:




The study was conducted among 1,418 people, and the methodology was telephonic
communication. It covers celebrities under four categories: actors, actresses, Cricketers and other
sports person. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents were male and 33 percent female, and
respondents were in the age groups and demographics both married (46 percent) and unmarried.
Photographs: Fotocorp, Tables and images in them: Brandscapes Worldwide