In today’s modern digital era, brands keep turning to celebrities and influencers to enhance their image, build credibility, and connect with larger audiences. From high-profile celebrity endorsements to micro-influencer collaborations, partnerships can be strategic and can influence consumer perception and brand loyalty. But what makes these collaborations effective? What should brands consider before partnering with an influencer or celebrity?
To answer these questions, I reached out to five industry experts with diverse backgrounds in marketing, branding, and influencer partnerships. Here’s what they had to say:
Cristina Lopez Yashimenko, Associate Director of Administrative Services, FIU College
of Business Office of Graduate Enrollment and Retention, and FIU alumni “One of the most important factors is ensuring that the celebrity’s values align with your brand’s. The partnership should be mutually beneficial, enhancing both your brand and the celebrity’s image. If there is a significant difference in brand equity, consider how the smaller brand can complement and add value to the larger brand’s needs, creating a more compelling proposition.” Pointing out how important it is for the collaboration to be successful, that the brand and celebrity values align for a mutually beneficial partnership, where both highlight each other's image and create added value.
“When choosing a celebrity for a brand collaboration to enhance brand image a company must consider the following factors: most importantly does the celebrity resonate with the target demographic? Does the celebrity have a positive image that will actually enhance the image instead of degrade the image? And finally, would the celebrity have a vested interest in promoting the brand? This is essentially the creation of a strategic alliance which means that both parties must see the relationship to be mutually beneficial. If the celebrity does not see it this way, then they may keep the brand’s image top of mind when conducting themselves.” said Professor Gregory Maloney from the Florida Internationa University.
On the other hand, account Manager at the FIU College of Business Office of Graduate
Enrollment and Retention, Alex Hernandez, shared that “A key factor to consider when choosing an influencer or high-level individual for a brand collaboration or partnership is inspiration. In any industry, you must use these influencers as inspiration to show your audience that although they are now of status and success, they were once in the same position as those in the audience now. People react well to relatable content; this is why User Generated Content tends to outperform paid or "salesy" content on social media. If your content is authentic, organic, and inspirational, it's sure to resonate with the audience and the results will speak for themselves”. Highlighting how crucial the selection process is to ensure that the collaboration representative is able to inspire and relate to the target audience, reminding us that authentic, organic content drives engagement and outperforms excessively promotional posts.
“Firstly, they must be capable and have qualities such as intelligence and presence, reach as a public image, communication skills and prompt response, capable of issuing and transmitting the company's message that is viable for the entire market segment, physical presence, experience, mastery of advertising and the topic being carried out” said Julio Cesar Santana, said Chief Operations Executive from Coralac S.A. Nestle Ice-cream, indicating how, once a person (celebrity or influencer) is associated with a brand it is important that they are eloquent and knowledgeable about the product and brand they are representing.
“Picking the right celebrity for a brand collaboration is all about alignment. In the pet space, you want someone who genuinely loves animals and has an audience that trusts their recommendations. A celebrity with an engaged following of pet parents is way more valuable than just a big name with no connection to the industry. Authenticity is key! If it feels forced, audiences can see right through it. And, of course, reputation matters; partnering with someone whose values align with your brand ensures the collaboration strengthens your image, not hurts it.” says Ashley Lee, Owner of Pawsitive Results Marketing LLC, and FIU alumni once again reaffirming the importance of personality alignment with the brand, as well as their image, and audience trust. Mutually beneficial partnerships will strengthen both participants’ brands.
Kristine Perez, Digital Marketing Manager @ 451º, and also FIU alumni stated that “Brands collaborating with celebrities and influential people may seem like a no-brainer, but it needs to make sense and be believable in order to be effective. Although it may be exciting for a brand to collaborate with a star, one must consider: Will consumers believe this person actually uses the product or service? And secondly, will the presence of the celeb distract from the brand's messaging? Too often, consumers end up remembering the celeb before remembering what the commercial was actually for, which is counterintuitive to building brand awareness and cultivating a strong brand image. Once that hurdle is overcome, the collaboration must make sense. Does the celebrity genuinely use the product, or was it just a paycheck?” bringing the warning to remain logical when faced with the opportunity of a collaboration with a big star, and once again, reminding us of the importance of the audience’s trust, and genuine interest in the brand.
Authenticity, values, intelligence, and having their audience’s trust are some of the most important key factors to consider when collaborating with celebrities and influencers. Not just any famous person can be a good match for a successful collaboration. Brands need to carefully select who aligns with their identity, values, and target audience. A well-matched partnership will boost credibility, engagement, and long-term brand loyalty for both the brand and person, while a mismatched one can do more harm than good.
Additionally, it's important to take into consideration that new and emerging influencers are proving to be powerful assets, offering higher engagement rates and deeper audience connections compared to traditional celebrities. Meanwhile, the success of high-profile endorsements depends on whether the celebrity’s values resonate with the brand’s message and is not received as a profitable partnership from the celebrities’ audiences. Genuine is always better.
Comentários