Things to consider when conducting celebrity and influencer marketing

 

ㅣCelebrity Promotion Effect            

In the past, celebrities were recruited as a way to create an image of an institution or company.

And the company used the influence and image of celebrities to brand their company.

Celebrity marketing expects the following effects :

(1) Companies (products, institutions, etc.) will enjoy the recognition that celebrities have.

(2) Positive perceptions and preferences for celebrities should instill positive perceptions in companies(products, institutions, etc.).

(3) The company (products, institutions, etc.) should be strongly recognized by the public in a short period of time by utilizing the ripple power of the celebrity.

On the other hand, 

brand making indiscriminately recruiting celebrities causes the following side effects :

(1) Celebrity-focused publicity, in which brands (company, institution, product, etc.) do not remain in memory, but only the model

(2) Celebrity recruitment costs generate excessive operating expenses compared to the sales expected by the brand (company, institution, product, etc.)

In this regard, we need to properly think about and operate the marketing use of celebrities.

ㅣInfluencer expansion 

However, after the proliferation of PCs and smartphones, as various platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram (commonly known as social media) were used, one-person media creators appeared.

Media creators created their own content using various platforms.

Content created by creators can influence, inspire and share with platform users.
Among them, as the utilization and consumption of video content increased, real-time streaming received the spotlight.

Twitch, Instagram Live, Facebook Live, YouTube, Afreeca TV, etc.

By being able to communicate with people in real-time by going beyond the limits of a place, creators formed a closer relationship with their followers (subscribers), and the fandom of creators was born.

These people influence the public through many followers (subscribers) on social media  We call them influencers.

ㅣWhat celebrities and influencers have in common

What celebrities and influencers have in common is that many people follow them.

They have many followers, and celebrities and influencers (content, words, actions, products used, etc.) influence the masses.

Celebrities and influencers provide fun to viewers, stimulate curiosity, and become the object of public envy.

In the past, the field was divided into celebrities and creators, but now the distinction between the two is ambiguous in that both have influence.

ㅣDifference Between Celebrity and Influencer 

However, there is still a stark difference between celebrities and influencers.

First, there is a difference in content.

In the past, entertainers participation in content or programs created by broadcasting stations.

Currently, with the activation of media, celebrities have also become content creators, Celebrities are evolving in the direction of creating and leading content themselves.

From this, the image of past celebrities is changed from "special" and "difficult to approach" to user-friendly. Even so, celebrities are still trying to stick to their "special form".

However, influencers create content through the process of interacting with viewers while showing viewers their daily actions, witty speeches, and actions.

They want their content to be seen by subscribers, either favorably or unfavorably. (source of stimulus) Because that leads to subscribers and money.

Or, they use special knowledge they know, arouse curiosity, and do makeup, mukbang, education, storytelling, etc. with skills that stand out from others.

Such content is based, it stimulates other people with content and fills the needs of various viewers in a variety of ways.

Content creators with this many followers become influential influencers. 

Content and interactions that are close to daily life make followers more empathetic to influencers.

It has a familiarity different from the divine existence of celebrities. 

So, if only celebrities were considered when advertising/promotion in the past, 

now they considered influencers also, like sponsoring products and using influencers' content to expose corporate information.

Second, is quality control.

Above we talked about the differences in how celebrities and influencers engage with content.

Celebrities practice becoming celebrities from a young age. They enter an agency, build up their skills, receive education, and appear on TV.

Celebrities are the education they have accumulated over the years since they were young. They are in control of rumors and issues from an early age.

(**Please note that not all celebrities are the same.)

Therefore, the content produced by celebrities is stimulating or entertaining but maintains a certain level of limitation.

However, since influencers are connected to revenue as they maintain a large subscriber base for the content they create, Influencers strive to attract more views and subscribers by utilizing stimulating and new content at an unlimited level.

(**Please note that not all influencers are the same.)

The low-quality control means that it is necessary to think about how their friendly tendencies and free-spirited content will affect the advertiser's product image.

ㅣThings to consider when conducting celebrity and influencer marketing   

Using celebrities or influencers is not long-term! It is a short-term marketing effect.

So, companies and advertisers who want to promote using celebrities and influencers need to clearly set the goals you aim for.

It's not just about making advertisements because they're famous. 

• Contents that fit the brand image and who will be recruited? 
• You should have a specific goal about what kind of brand image you want to create? 
• Do you want to make How many product sales? 
• Do you want to tell us how to use the product? 
• Do you want to introduce the advantages of the product?
• Or do you just want a lot of exposure? 

By using celebrities and influencers, what was the sales growth rate for these 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, and how much increase do you want?

And it does not end with publicity that puts them in front, but also other public relations to fix the brand's image marketing should be supported.

In this way, it is possible to be recognized by people in the long term and minimize the risk that may appear after the promotion of celebrities and influencers.

As I explained earlier, it is necessary to consider what kind of person you want to collaborate with and what kind of competence and image you want of the celebrity.

When collaborating with celebrities or influencers as promoters, you need to be able to consider both the positive and negative impacts they can bring.

<This is the personal opinion of the author. It's not 100% universal for everyone.>