•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

For a long time, companies have used well-known public figures, movie stars and sports personalities to endorse their brands.

The main aim of celebrity endorsements is to persuade consumers to buy a particular product or service, shape their perceptions towards it and convince them that they are buying a lifestyle rather than just a product.

But celebrities must be taken on with caution. The recent events surrounding Tiger Woods show that there are big risks involved.

Compared to their Western counterparts, Asian companies have not yet reaped the full benefits of celebrity endorsements. The Asian way of doing business has held back businesses from investing in building brands. There are also fewer A-class celebrities in Asia.

Here are 10 tips to ensure successful celebrity endorsement strategies:

Consistency: Companies need to maintain consistency between the endorser and the brand to establish a strong personality and identity. Celebrity endorsements should be long-term strategic decisions rather than short-term tactical decisions.

Selection: Firms need to ensure that celebrities endorsers are attractive, have a positive image and are perceived as someone having the necessary knowledge.

Celebrity-brand match: Corporations should make a match between the brand and the endorser so that the endorsements enhance the consumers’ perception about their lifestyle and elevate them emotionally.

Monitoring: Companies should closely follow the behavior, conduct and public image of the endorser continuously to minimize any potential negative publicity.

Uniqueness: Companies should hire celebrities that do not endorse competing products so that there is a clear transfer of personality.

Timing: As celebrities command a high price tag, firms should be on the constant lookout for rising stars who show some promise and sign them up early.

Brand over endorser: The brand policy should dictate the kind of celebrity to be hired, not the other way round.

Endorsement is just a channel: Companies must back up celebrity endorsements with multiple communications activities to obtain greater reach for the brand.

Return on investment: companies should combine quantitative and qualitative criteria to measure the overall effect of celebrity endorsements on its brands.

Legal: Corporations should ensure that celebrities are hired on proper legal terms so that they don’t endorse competitors’ products.

Martin Roll is a Singapore-based business and brand strategist. Website: http://www.martinroll.com