Celebrity endorsements

A celebrity endorsement is a superb marketing tool because it helps you gain instant access to the mind of consumers. Today the media is saturated with marketing messages from all conceivable sources. When you add your bit of clutter to all the rest, the biggest challenge is getting attention and having your marketing message seen and heard. The average prospect's mind is already 'full.' But when a celebrity endorses your product, the instant recognition they command cuts through the clutter. A celebrity helps you get into the forefront of the buyer's mind, and a celebrity's fame and notoriety rubs off on your product. Many people will stand outside in the cold rain for hours just to get a glimpse of a favourite celebrity. That's the kind of motivation you want to tap into!

But how do you get a busy, difficult-to-contact celebrity to help you out? The most obvious way is to pay the celebrity well to endorse your product. The drawback, of course, is expense. A plug from a major celebrity can mean tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But a new celebrity may help you for free so they can get some of their own exposure. Celebrities need all the free ink they can get, too! There are many other kinds of celebrities who are not major stars, but big fish in their own ponds. Examples of these might be a local DJ, a TV weatherman on your local TV station, or a local sports star. These 'minor' celebrities can work well in your own geographic marketing area, and better yet, they will be either free or affordable.

How do you contact a major celebrity? Here's what you need to do:

• Contact publicity agencies and ask which celebrities they can connect you with.

• Contact a specific celebrity's agent or publicity firm.

• Call TV stations and radio stations.

• Contact the ad agencies that have created commercials for celebrities.

• Call a celebrity's record label, publisher, studio, or athletic team.

One more idea: if you can't afford a celebrity, you might be able to get another organization to sponsor one, and then work with them to gain access for your marketing needs.

Continue reading here: TV infomercials

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