In this article, we will learn if it is useful to use a dead celebrity when it comes to promoting a particular brand. Read throughout the post and learn more about how to use a celebrity, whether dead or alive, in promoting your brand!
In the world of licensing and advertising, celebrities prove to drive more sales. In fact, any business owners will tell you that one of the excellent, effective ways of increasing the visibility of a brand is through celebrity endorsement. Why not?
These days, we live in a world of celebrity-obsessed. US Weekly magazines and people dominate newsstands, while Access Hollywood loads our screens with endless celebrity news. These famous personalities have a unique bond with their fans – who seriously take the recommendation of their favorite celebs and use any brands or products they use.
Even after death, the brand of a celebrity remains powerful. This is why some companies take advantage of this idea and benefit later on. There are some advantages and disadvantages though. In marketing, the use of the likeness and image of a particular deceased celebrity can be a topic of controversy. Although some draw a hostile response, others perform well.
The Pros of Using Dead Celebrities in Promoting Brands
One benefit to using a dead celebrity for brand promotion is that the star will be both recognized globally and will often become an idealized icon in the eyes of public after their death. Brands or companies that make use of deceased celebrities have much more positive publicity and can be able to line up themselves with the noble of these iconic personalities.
Compared to current celebrities, static personalities are much more dependable and cannot cause any problems or issues for the campaign with sharp negative image and scandals. Above all, the brand will have more control over the promotion.
The Cons of Using Dead Celebrities in Promoting Brands
With all the good points, there are also drawbacks associated with using a deceased celebrity to promote a brand. One example is that dead stars do not always great work with the target audience of a brand. For instance, although Marilyn Monroe is a style icon and a perfect match for beauty brands, she may not be a perfect fit especially if the brand’s audience is consists of the younger generation. Not to mention, it is not always easy obtaining the rights to the likeness and image of a dead celebrity.
Steps to Using a Deceased Celebrity in Your Marketing Strategy
There are three steps I can share when using a celebrity who is already deceased to be part of your brand promotion. These are: finding the right celebrity, understanding what the celebrity can do for your marketing efforts, and looking at the number of fans or followers the celebrity have been influenced through his/her excellent contributions.
- Finding the celebrity
Securing a celebrity endorsement can take your brand to the higher level, but ensuring to obtain the right figure endorsement can really go a long way. So, be sure your partnership is a perfect, stable fit with your intended audience in order to achieve a successful campaign with a dead celebrity.
You can utilize resources (e.g., E-Poll) to give you a level of confidence and peace of mind. Name recognition, likeability, trust, and other attributes can be secluded. In addition to making sure the celebrity ideally fits with the image of your brand, but the campaign is courteous and appropriate to the celebrity’s image.
- Understanding what the celebrity can do for your marketing efforts
Is it to attract the media, draw traffic, or others? A respected and well-known deceased star will serve as a notable draw to your product or event. For example, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe have been used on any type of products up until now, which include giftware, collectibles, wall art, and apparel. As a matter of fact, Forbes listed Elvis as one of the highest-earning dead celebrities with $27 million earnings, alongside David Bowie, John Lennon, Prince, etc. Marley’s house has been used for products like coffee, consumer electronics, and apparel.
- Looking at their following
The value of a celebrity’s influence on other people is also crucial when considering to promote your brand through his or her image. Though, it is genuinely essential to find celebrities who are ideally aligned with your proposition and brand.
Why Use Dead Celebrity Marketing?
It may sound strange, but believe it or not, using the image of a dead celebrity to market a particular brand also helps in producing an important income among business owners. The critical ground here is to make customers feel that they can imitate the lifestyle of a celebrity by purchasing the goods or products. By combining your brand and clinic with the right personality, you can instantly achieve a business boost, gain visibility among much bigger network audiences, and beat your competition.
Examples of Dead Celebrities Who Are Still Popular In Terms of Promoting a Brand
What makes celebrities fascinating even if they’re already in the different world? According to SVP of International Licensing Industry Merchandisers Association, Marty Brochstein, it is the celebrities’ iconic nature.
Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe are just some examples of dead celebrities who are still popular in terms of brand promotion. They can be able to translate into products.
Similar to other celebrity marketing campaign, you need to get through all the essential steps to find the best celebrity for your brand. The relationship among the brand and the celebrity should be strong enough to set your message apart from thousands of others out there. It may be tricky and odd at first, but when set appropriately, the feedback from the audience is worth all the efforts.
So, in some instances, it could be great if you’ll consider a dead celebrity in order to promote your brand, especially if you will use a reputable one. Nevertheless, it might also be a wrong move if you have no idea on what to properly do. Better be informed all the time!
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