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The Impact of Celebrity’s personality on

Consumer Brand Preference

The crescendo of celebrities endorsing brands has been steadily increasing over the past 20
years or so. Marketers overtly acknowledge the power of celebrity in influencing buyer's
purchase decision. They have firm believe that likeability or a favorable attitude towards a
brand is created by the use of a celebrity. The crore of rupees spent per year on celebrity
endorsement contracts show that celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Sharukh khan and
Sachin Tendulkar play an important role for the advertising industry. It is an established
fact that celebrity endorsement can bestow unique features or special attributes upon a
product that it may have lacked otherwise.
In India from late 1970's and early 80's the new trend in advertising started. Brands started
being endorsed by celebrities. Hindi film and TV stars as well as sportspersons were roped
in to endorse prominent brands. Advertisements featuring stars like Late Jalal Agha (Pan
Parag), Tabassum (Prestige cookers), Sunil Gavaskar for Dinesh Suiting, Ravi Shastri and
Vivian Richards (Vimal), Persis Khambhata and Kapil Dev (Palmolive Shaving cream)
became common.
Though marketers should remember that celebrities are mere living beings like us and if
they can highlight the benefits or advantages of a brand they can also have some uncanny
negative impact. Theory and practice suggests that the use of stars and their unleashing
power in advertising generate a lot of publicity and attention from the public but the
underline questions are, do these stars really help a brand by increasing its sales? On the
other hand, can they really have an Impact on the person's consumption pattern, thereby
changing his brand preference? How an advertisement featuring a celebrity can influence
consumers buying decision and can create an association between a brand and a common
man.
To answer these questions, the article will examine the relationship between celebrity
endorsements and brands, and the impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer's buying
behaviour as well as how consumer makes brand preferences.
We will apply a wide range of accepted principles of how consumers brand attitudes and
preferences can be influenced, how buyer's behavior can be influenced, how buyer's
behavior can be molded. We will use the principles of credibility of source and
attractiveness, the match-up hypothesis, the consumer decision-making model and the
communication model to understand this phenomenon.
Brand- A layman perspective
Brand is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational and cultural image that you can
associate with a company or the product. Few examples will bring home the meaning i.e.
Amul - utterly butterly delicious; Coke – thanda matlab coca-cola; Pepsi – Yeh dil mange
more; Kurkure- Masti bole to kurkure and Daewoo ka India.
These examples convey one message that when people watch advertisement a connect is
being created and result is that people go for experience of buying. People feel by using the
brand they will portray certain traits or characteristics that otherwise they do not have. This
generates a certain level of emotional affiliation and a sense of fulfillment. It is this
emotional relationship with brands that make them so powerful.
Advertisements enforces what exactly the brand stands for and what to expect by its
consumption and above all what factors, features and attributes makes it better from
competition. Advertisements along with other marketing efforts generate expectations and
feelings in a customer and force them to think when they see or hear the brand name. This
Thinking process and emotional bonding gets more mature and relevant when a celebrity
endorses the brand. The subjective intangible feelings of a customer become objective and
tangible in the form of celebrity and the level of expectations will rise. The customer will
start to perceive himself in the reference frame of the celebrity after the brand or the
advertised product has been purchased or consumed by him.
Celebrity
Celebrities are people who enjoy public recognition and mostly they are the experts of their
respective fields having wider influence in public life and societal domain. Attributes like
attractiveness, extraordinary life style or special skills, larger than life image and demigod
status can be associated with them.
It is safe to deduce that within a corresponding social group celebrities generally differ from
the social norm and enjoy high degree of public awareness.
Celebrities appear in public in different ways. To start, they appear in public when fulfilling
their professional commitments example: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who played cricket in
front of an audience in Twenty-Twenty World Cup. Furthermore, celebrities appear in public
by attending special celebrity events, example: the movie award nights; special screening;
world premiers of movies or for social causes. These celebrities have universal presence and
appeal, they are present everywhere, in news, fashion shows and magazines, tabloids and
above all advertisements.
Celebrity and a Brand
Star power in India can be gauged by the successful endorsements done by Sharukh Khan
(Pepsi, Hyundai Santro, Sunfeast, and Navratan etc.), Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar,
Rahul Dravid, Hrithik Roshan and the others. The inevitable question is, if and how the lively
interest of the public in the rich and famous can be efficiently and effectively used by
companies to promote their brands and consequently to increase their sales revenues.
This fact can be brought out by using certain examples i.e. Mr. Amitabh Bachchan
promoting Cadbury chocolates after the fiasco of infestation when the image of Cadbury
India went very low in the eyes of people. Soon the company found a perfect fit and a
reliable celebrity to transmit the correct message and help regenerating the lost trust. The
fit between the product and celebrity is evident as Mr. Bachchan and Cadbury chocolates
both have tested troubled times and still they stand tall and the love and trust they both
share with the people all across India. This is a live example of how a celebrity brought
certain attributes to a product like chocolate.
Actor Sharukh khan has also endorsed diversified products. His endorsement basket is
ranging from Hyundai Santro to Sunfeast biscuits on one hand and from Compaq computers
to Videocon electronics on the other.
According to Advertising research companies both the actors are doing well and the ad
spent on both by the companies is increasing at a phenomenal rate, so does their basket of
endorsements. These actors bring reliability and trust in the brand and above all, they help
in increasing the sales revenues.
Celebrity endorsements are powerful, has become evident from the above two examples
but, why is it so? This power is offered by the following elements, which also creates a 'Top
of the Mind Position'.

* Instant Awareness, knowledge about the brand and easy recall.


* Values and image of the brand is defined, highlighted and refreshed by the celebrity.
* The celebrity adds new edge and dimension to the brand.
* Credibility, trust, associatison, aspiration and connectivity to brand.
* Belief in efficiency and new appearance that will result in at least trial usage.
Understanding Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviour is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and
why they buy. It blends elements from psychology, sociology, sociopsychology,
anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer decision-making process,
both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of individual consumers such as
demographics, psychographics, and behavioral variables in an attempt to understand
people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from groups such as
family, friends, reference groups, and society in general.
The study and knowledge of consumer behavior helps firms and organizations to improve
their marketing strategies and product offerings. Following are the important issues that
have significant influence on consumer's psyche and their ability to take decisions:
• The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different
alternatives (e.g., brands, products);
• The psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g.,
culture, family, signs, media);
• The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions;
• Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence
decisions and marketing outcome;
• How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ
in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and
• How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing
strategies to more effectively reach the consumer.
• Their Age, Religion, Culture, Income, informal group and Referent Group.
Understanding these issues helps us adapt our strategies by taking the consumer into
consideration.
Consumer Decision-making process

The given process is very complicated though on first sight it does not look so. Process
starts with problem recognition or with an unsatisfied need. Something that a consumer
would like to have or purchase in order to attain satisfaction. This need can be
Psychological, attitudinal or Physiological but yes it should have the capacity to be fulfilled
by consuming a particular product or service.
To satisfy the given need what all are the components that should be taken into
consideration and how we can maximize the satisfaction is the next stage. In this stage, we
will cover ability to purchase, level of involvement, people whose opinion will count and
other relevant details that will help us in optimizing satisfaction.
Based upon information search we will generate various alternatives i.e. which brand or
product is affordable for me, where will it be available comfortably and above all in
comparison to other brands or products how better or economical it is.
Evaluation stage will look like cost benefit analysis and based upon maximum value or utility
per rupee spend, we will decide or shortlist the product or brand. This is the decision and
confirmation stage where the consumers prepares himself for the purchase of a particular
brand and give preference to one and only one over and above the others.
Next comes the purchase when the consumer will finally go to the market and look for the
brand or the product, physically verifies it and purchases it.
Last is the post purchase Evaluation in which the customer wants to justify his consumption
or purchase decision. He tries to find out whether his purchase decision was right or not.
Companies make lot of effort to tackle this situation successfully and they want the
customer to be satisfied with their product.
This stage may result into three situations, first is satisfaction where customer is satisfied
and he got expected results but this does not necessitates the repeat purchase by the
consumer. Second is dissonance where the consumer is not satisfied as he got less utility or
less than expected result from the consumption or product performance. Third is Delight,
here the consumer gets more than expected satisfaction and utility and this will assure the
repeat purchase and creation of brand loyalty.
Traditional Factors affecting consumer decision making
There are several factors that affect consumer's decision to purchase a brand and a product.
These factors though at time are not very much visible but they make an impact and affects
sales of a product or brand up to a great extent. The table below shows some of these
factors.
Impact of a Brand on consumer purchase decision
Research studies have proven that known products and names are sold more than unknown
ones. Therefore, a known brand or an optimally exposed brand will find more recognition
and buyers in the market in comparison to completely unknown or unexposed brand.
Recognition of brand and its significance along with the traditional factors plays a very
significant role in consumer decision-making process.
More or less every consumer has a brand preference and given the affordability and
societal norms, each buyer would like to buy and consume one of the highly acceptable,
recognizable, and reputed brands.
The above given model explains the important role that a brand plays in three different
stages of consumer's purchase decision making. A consumer start collecting data or
information about his favourite brand than he keeps his favourite as one of the alternatives
and he evaluate his selected brand against all available options and on finding it suitable or
best among all options based upon a qualitative and quantitative evaluation he will
ultimately purchase the selected or favourite brand.
The diagram above explains how various traditional factors along with brand preference
interact during purchase decision process and finally results into a consumer's final product
choice or ultimate purchase.
Celebrity and a brand
Surveys suggest that compared to any other types of endorsers, famous people achieve a
higher degree of attention and recall. They increase awareness of a company's advertising
as well as help in retention of message in the psyche of the audience. They can also help
the company in reducing their expenditure on Media and other forms of publicity. An
example will bring more clarity, When S Kumars, a known textile brand entered into
readymade garments business they used Hrithik Roshan, then the hottest advertising icon
for their launch advertising for TAMARIND, now one of the premium readymade brands.
They reckoned that they have spent 40-50 percent less on media due to sheer impact of
using hottest star like Hrithik. The Ad recall was as high as 70 percent and the campaign
can be termed as a great success.
Celebrities also create positive feelings towards brands, connect user to brand and are
perceived by consumers as more entertaining.
Using a celebrity in advertising or for any, other type of communication for brand building is
likely to positively affect consumers' brand preference, brand attitude, brand association
and purchase intentions. To ensure positive results, however, it is critical for advertisers to
have a clear understanding of consumer's reactions and reinforcement of celebrity
endorsement. The impact of celebrity endorsement on any brand as well as on consumer's
purchase decision is very critical.
Source Credibility
Central goal of advertising is the convincing of consumers and persuasion to purchase, the
ultimate objective, though not openly spoken, is to some how attract consumers to the
market offering of the company, generating positive attitude, reinforce positive association
and ultimately to generate sales, may be a trial purchase. At later stages, the sponsor may
work towards creating a brand loyalty but generating initial sales or increasing the existing
sales is the primary objective. In this respect, the credibility of an endorser along with
advertisement plays an important role in convincing the target audience of the
attractiveness of the company's brand and generates sales. Pursuing a celebrity
endorsement strategy enables advertisers to project a credible image in terms of expertise,
persuasiveness, trustworthiness, and objectiveness.
To create effective messages, celebrity advertisers also have to consider the attractiveness
of the spokesperson. Source attractiveness refers to the endorser's Physical appearance,
Personality, Likeability and Similarity to the receiver, thus to the perceived social value of
the source. This behavior mainly goes back to halo effect, whereby persons who perform
well on one dimension example: physical attractiveness or top professional performance,
social status are assumed to excel on other levels as well i.e. happiness and coolness. This
is evident from the use of Fardeen Khan, modern, dynamic, outgoing and smart personality
for Provogue; he translates the modernism of the brand well. Titan uses Aamir Khan in his
different avatars for communicating to the public that their watches are as reliable and
passionate as Aamir is for films. Both Fardeen and Aamir carry the message well and
enhance the credibility of the brand they endorse.
Establishing a Perfect Match
Research proves that a spokesperson especially for a service product or organization (ICICI-
First Amitabh Bachchan, now Shahrukh Khan) interacts with the type of brand being
advertised. These stars communicate the value of the product and transform an ordinary
service into a miracle solution for all problems of an ordinary customer.
According to Friedman and Friedman (1979), a famous relative to a 'normal' spokesperson
is more effective for products high in psychological or social risk, involving such elements as
good taste, self-image, and opinion of others. Several research studies have examined the
congruency between celebrity endorsers and brands to explain the effectiveness of using
famous persons to promote brands.
In India, a brand called Reid & Taylor presented its perfect example when they first
launched their advertising campaign featuring James Bond fame of the time Mr. Pierce
Brosnan along with the tagline 'BOND WITH THE BEST' but the James Bond idea did not
worked and the company was not happy with the results.
After the debacle of the first campaign, company introduced a family ad where children are
celebrating there parents silver wedding anniversary and they are out with their father to
purchase a suit for him. Even this commercial did not work and it was taken off the air. As a
last resort, company introduced Mr. Amitabh Bachchan as Reid & Taylor man, a man
propagating the brand for special occasion and for very special people in life. The
commercial from the initial days got good response and did extremely well as people were
able to connect with Mr. Bachchan and the values he was propagating.
For the masses, there was a perfect match of an ideal Indian family man, a star and a good
quality but bit highly priced brand reserved especially for special occasions and for very
special people.
Second example that can be quoted is of Vishwanathan Anand, who endorsed NIIT. NIIT
adopted a very smart strategy by roping in Vishwanathan Anand an international chess
wizard for their advertising campaign. As chess is considered to be a game full of strategies
and a game for smart people and when one of the greats of the game is asking people to
join NIIT it was suppose to have a positive influence on the people and actually it had.
There was complete congruency and compatibility between the celebrity endorser, the
product and the message.
Contrary to only favorable outcomes, there are several examples where the product, even
the entire campaign collapsed due to heavy weight celebrity as the agency or the ad failed
to establish the relationship between the endorser and the product. Keeping the focus only
on success, where the product and the celebrity were a perfect match, following are few
examples:

Celebrity Endorser Company / Product

* Dabur
* Cadbury
Amitabh Bachchan
* Reid and Taylor
* Parker

* Santro
* Videocon
Shahrukh Khan * Sunfeast
* Pepsi

Juhi Chawala * Kurkure

Ustad Zakir Hussain * Taj mahal tea

* Titan
Aamir Khan * Coke
* Toyota Innova

* Nakshatra
Aishwarya Rai
* Lux

* Fanta
Rani Mukherjee
* Nestle Munch

* Whirlpool
Kajol and Ajay Devgan
* Tata Indicom

The campaigns are not only basking with the glory of success stories, but there is
considerable number of failures as well. Assuming that a person just have to be famous to
represent a successful brand, however, would be incorrect and may turn out to be a very
dangerous preposition resulting into a big calamity for the entire advertising campaign or
the brand.
Very well accepted and attractive super stars like Abhishek Bachchan and Amitabh
Bachchan failed in turning their endorsements into success i.e. Maruti Versa similarly
Virendra Sehwag also failed to deliver Reliance Telecommunication with the master stroke
of his cricketing genius.
Among the possible reasons identified by several authors, including overexposure and
identification, the 'match-up hypothesis' specifically suggests that the effectiveness depends
on the existence of a 'fit' between the celebrity spokesperson and endorsed brand.
Empirical work on the congruency of brand with the celebrity often has concentrated on the
physical attractiveness of the endorser. Results show that an attractive spokespersons are
more effective in terms of attitude change when prompting brands that enhance one's
attractiveness i.e. cosmetics; health drinks or fashion wear.
Primary data states, for celebrity spokespersons to be truly effective, they should be
knowledgeable, experienced, mature, and a bench mark in their respective field and
qualified to talk about the product.
Transferring the Meaning
After watching an advertisement the consumers try to find the meaning of the
advertisement and associate the same with the endorser and eventually transfer to the
brand. To understand this phenomenon Mc Cracken (1989) suggested a comprehensive
model known as Meaning Transfer Model. This three-stage model suggests how the meaning
associated with the famous person moves from the endorser to the product or the brand.
Thus, meanings attributed to the celebrity become associated with the brand in the
consumer's mind. Finally, in the consumption process, the customer acquires the brand's
meaning. The third stage of the model explicitly shows the importance of the consumer's
role in the process of endorsing brands with famous persons.
In contrast to anonymous endorsers, celebrities add value to the image transfer process by
offering meanings of extra depth and power, what is complemented by their life style and
personalities. Therefore, to transfer the correct meaning to the consumer the company
should select a celebrity that will produce the most favorable response for consumers and
for the purpose the celebrity should have, the appropriate set of characteristics and the
public should be able to visualize and comprehend the same. The company should consider
the consumer's needs while developing their communication strategy and selecting an
appropriate celebrity to transmit the same, i.e. Kurkure used actress Juhi Chawala with the
punch line 'Masti Bole To Kurkure' and the actress on screen and off-screen personifies the
masti and helps the brand in communicating the same easily.
Compatibility of the celebrity's persona with the overall brand image is very important, as a
celebrity imparts credibility and inspirational value to a brand and his or her image should
perfectly match the brand's image. A good brand campaign idea and an intrinsic link
between the celebrity and the message are must for a successful campaign.
Certain elements that generate a perfect match or compatibility between the celebrity and
brand image are:

* Celebrity's fit with the brand image along with celebrity-target audience match.
* Celebrity associated values and celebrity-product match.
* Costs of acquiring the celebrity and his or her popularity along with controversy risks
associated with the celebrity.
* Credibility, availability and physical attractiveness of celebrity.
The above points can be put to perspective by using two examples, first Kapil Dev's
'Palmolive da jawaab nahin' and second Nakshatra's brand recall due to its endorser, the
gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Both brands have edged out and carved out their niche
in consumer's mind due to image and credibility of their endorsers. These were the cases of
perfect match between the brand image and the image or persona of the celebrity endorser.
Conclusion
A brief assessment of the current market situation indicates, that celebrity endorsement
advertising strategy can under the right circumstances indeed justify the high costs
associated with this form of advertising. The use of celebrity for endorsements create a very
favorable impact on the consumer and it creates a connect which forces a consumer to
purchase a product. However, as several failures show, it is essential for advertisers to be
aware of the complex processes underlying celebrity endorsement.
It has been proved from the discussion that celebrity endorsements are a powerful and
useful tool that magnifies the effect of a campaign but the word of caution to be followed
seriously; celebrities alone do not guarantee success nor does a great advertising campaign
or the best possible product. It is the combination of several factors and elements that work
together for the success of a brand and its acceptance in the minds of consumers as well as
for its market offering.
Modern day consumers are well educated and smart, they know celebrities are being paid
for these endorsements and this knowledge makes consumers rather more cynical about the
product and celebrity endorsements. Majority of the consuming population also knows what
is advertising and how it actually works and this knowledge of consumer makes the task of
celebrity endorsement all the more difficult and challenging for the advertising companies
and the sponsors. Indian companies both advertising and product offering companies have
top make an effort to overcome this ever-mounting challenge.

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