![When brands get it right magic happens: Tennis champion Serena Williams is an ambassador for Berlei bras.](/content/dam/images/1/2/r/9/o/f/image.related.afrArticleLead.620x350.guekzk.png/1487301431822.jpg)
We live in a world fascinated by celebrity. Obsessed, some might say. Thanks largely to social media we know more about our A, B, C and D-listers than ever before – where they're holidaying and dining, what labels they're wearing and, of course, who they're dating, and splitting up from. Celebrity sells.
Using celebrities to endorse brands is nothing new. Josiah Wedgewood was using London socialites to endorse his products in the press in the late 1700s. However, times have changed. Consumers are better informed and as a result more sceptical of celebrity endorsement. Marketers need to tread cautiously before going down this path.
Having worked with an eclectic range of celebrities on a broad range of brands across different sectors, I'm afraid there are no silver screen bullets, but there are three good rules to keep in mind.
Authenticity is key
![Eva Longoria in an ad for Specsavers. Longoria has used her star power to promote Dine cat food, but it turns out she ...](/content/dam/images/g/i/n/j/3/8/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1438218313793.jpg)
Endorsements need to be authentic. At its very basic, is it likely the celebrity would use what you are selling? High-profile Hollywood actress Eva Longoria endorsed Dine, a well-known brand of cat food in Australia. It subsequently emerged that she doesn't actually have a cat. An awkward situation which calls into question consumers' trust in that brand.
Shared value must exist
Another factor is the notion of shared value. Are both the brand and the celebrity benefiting from the relationship? If the relationship is purely transactional, it is likely to lack credibility and believability. Optus did a brilliant parody demonstrating this point using Ricky Gervais. He spoke directly to camera about how he had accepted a significant sum of money from the telco but actually didn't have a clue who they were. The marketing community may have shifted nervously on its feet, but the point hit home, both with them and consumers, because of its honesty and humour.
Beware loss of reputation
Arguably the biggest pitfall of celebrity endorsement is loss of reputation. The risk is tied to a willingness by both parties to put their brand in someone else's hands. The damage comes when the celebrity does something that isn't aligned with the brand or the values of your customers. We've seen this story many times – Tiger Woods springs to mind. But it goes both ways. The brand has to behave in a credible, ethical and transparent fashion too. In recent times brands have used social influencers for endorsement but have, in some instances, pushed the boundaries to imply those endorsements were spontaneous and given freely. This has led followers to question the credibility of influencers.
![British chef Jamie Oliver's promotion of supermarket giant Woolworths is an example of smart branding.](/content/dam/images/z/s/4/i/6/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1402480439933.jpg)
When brands get it right magic happens. There are so many great examples. Richie Benaud and cast in Meat and Livestock Australia's 2015 Australia Day ad. The current Serena Williams Berlei work. Snickers' celeb work. Curtis Stone and Jamie Oliver's ongoing work with the supermarket giants. On the flip side, brands can, and often do, get it horribly wrong. Think pretty much anything that the Kardashians or Lindsay Lohan spruik on social. The fake smile whilst awkwardly clutching some random product. What's supposed to look like an uber-cool selfie just comes over as disingenuous and shallow.
I have worked with some amazing ambassadors in my time at CUB, Visa, Telstra, David Jones, Westpac and now at Tourism Australia. Every iteration is different. But, for me, it comes down to people and brands working towards a common goal and for mutual benefit. Deliver genuine and engaging work and they can put the brand in a better position in the mind of the consumer.
At Tourism Australia we have up to 200 ambassadors across many disciplines that are proud advocates for Australia. It's an essential, and very successful component of our marketing strategy. We couldn't achieve the same cut through, engagement and positive sentiment without such advocacy endorsement.
Executed well, and when the basics are right, celebrity endorsement is a powerful form of marketing, one that can engage consumers, drive brand value and ultimately sales. But buyer beware. The same underlying fragility that governs stardom applies equally to companies that turn to it as an easy fix to promote their brands. Tread carefully.
![Ricky Gervais in the advertisement for telco Optus. The point was made with honesty and humour.](/content/dam/images/g/j/z/6/r/y/image.imgtype.afrArticleInline.620x0.png/1487283960356.jpg)
Lisa Ronson is the chief marketing officer of Tourism Australia