Inconsistency between a spokesperson and a brand image can result to an ineffective campaign. When St. John Knights signed bad girl Angelina Jolie on for a three year print-ad contract shoppers were unresponsive. Consumers had trouble making a connection between Jolie’s controversial history and St. Johns conservative image. “The intent was to connect the conservative label with a younger generation,” says Suzanne Hader, principal of luxury consulting company 400twin, “but it created a backlash among die-hard fans due to Jolie’s rebellious public image.”
The profitability of a celebrity is often related to the connection that consumers feel to the character of the celebrity. The ability to feel a close connection with a celebrity greatly influences consumers and leads to profit for brands lucky enough to be tied to these celebrities. L’Oreal understands this concept very well and has called this the “J.Lo concept”.This concept consists of the transformation of an average girl into a superstar, thus making the average consumer feel personally targeted by the advertisement. L’Oreal profited from this concept when they placed Penelope Cruz in advertisements for mascara.
The difference in those two cases lies in the ability that consumers have to relate to a certain celebrity and how that affects their reaction to the celebrity endorsement. Can you think of any current celebrity endorsements that suffer from a disconnect?
-
Authors
emiddl1
