Buy this. Don’t buy that. If you hear about a product from a trusted friend, you’re more likely to trust that person’s opinion and to consider following their lead. In modern marketing, your customers have many trusted friends online - influencers and celebrities who are connected to your audience even if they have never met each other.
By strategically associating your brand with an influencer or celebrity, you can improve your brand alignment and brand loyalty and make the most of your marketing ROI.
Understanding the Power of Association in Brand Endorsements
Association is the way that people make mental connections. People make connections between objects and people. Once your brand partners with a celebrity, the trust that people place in celebrities and influencers carries through to your brand. Not only do you build trust, but you also create a positive memory. Celebrity endorsements can improve brand visibility and recall. People remember your brand when they see that celebrity. By using the power of association, you can place your product into the memories and shopping carts of consumers.
Celebrity Influence and Consumer Trust
Social media brand endorsements help build brand loyalty, just like television and print advertising have done in the past and continue to do today.
Why do celebrity endorsements build consumer trust?
Endorsements build your brand credibility. People trust celebrities and influencers’ opinions. Their endorsement builds confidence in your brand.
The emotions that people hold about the celebrity carry over to your brand.
A brand endorsement cuts through the advertising noise and communicates clearly to existing and new audiences.
Identifying the Right Influencer Partnerships for Brand Alignment
Influencer endorsements can help you build your brand voice, but how can you partner with the right people who align with your brand’s values and message?
Here are a few considerations when choosing celebrities and influencers for brand endorsements:
- Is the person known amongst your target audience?
- Does that audience like that person?
- Is the celebrity still culturally relevant and likely to remain so?
- Will their presence evoke the emotions that you want to have connected to your product?
- What is their track record in terms of values of behavior? Make sure that you’re placing your brand loyalty in the hands of someone who will help you bring a positive brand image.
- Is this person connected with other brands? How is your alignment with those brands and their messages? Are any of them too close to yours or too far away from your brand values?
Measuring and Maximizing Marketing ROI Through Endorsements
When brand endorsements are done strategically, they can maximize your marketing ROI.
Connecting with an influencer in your niche can allow you to reach out to a very specific audience. That influencer brings their active and loyal fan base to your brand. This not only boosts your brand visibility but can increase your conversion rate as well. When people hear that your product is recommended by an influencer that they adore, they are more likely to jump to purchasing rather than debating that purchase.
Conclusion: Building a Stronger Brand Through Endorsements
By aligning your brand with a celebrity or an influencer, you can connect with your niche and build trusting, positive associations with your brand. Through strategic connections, you can build your brand loyalty.
Interested in developing your brand? Connect with us at Hangar-12 and check out our library of resources: Browse all Hangar-12 ebooks today.
Topics Endorsement, brand strategy