Celebrity Endorsement on Social Media

Celebrities are a vital part of the modern world. They are admired, followed and featured in almost every part of our lives. We can’t go a day without seeing a famous face plastered somewhere, so it makes sense that companies are using them to endorse their products. With Adverts costing millions (Beyoncé’s Pepsi endorsement cost $50 million) are no longer the only way for brands to get their products out there, social media is a useful Public Relations tool to utilize to advertise a product to millions with less effort than traditional mediums of PR.

Beyonce with her Pepsi Campaign 

Since the launch of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram celebrities have been showing off their lives to their millions of followers. Kim Kardashian has over 27 million followers on Instagram alone, is the most followed person on it and is reportedly paid over $8000 a tweet when promoting companies. 

Pregnancy lips.... @EOS to the rescue! LOL http://t.co/1da6CWjOW9
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 28, 2013

Social media is a vital part of the 21^st century, and companies are using it to help sell their products by using celebrity’s status to advertise products.

One way is by sending free samples of the products to celebrities in the hopes that they will feature them in a tweet or image, or even be spotted on the street wearing their item which fans will then circulate on social media. An example of someone who advertises products sent to them by companies is Zoella, one of the biggest YouTubers in the world. With nearly 8 million subscribers to her YouTube channel she is able to advertise products in both her videos and on social media where she also has millions of followers. 

So if a company can get her to advertise their product for free they have gained free publicity, and expect their sales to go up. 

For a price companies can get celebrities to advertise their products. This can cost thousands but it is still a cheaper alternative to traditional advertising campaigns. Vine star Ben Phillips get's paid around £12000 per vine to advertise companies brands. He is given free rein on how to present the products (to his 1.3 million followers) and with the videos being shared around other social media sites it makes this is a durable, accessible public relations tool. The rise of social media celebrities is at an all-time high, and companies love to use them to advertise their products!

 Celebrities are also encouraged to approach companies for endorsment with the guarantee that they will give the company publicity. When the singer Sophie Ellis Bextor, wanted a new hot tub she contacted Danz Spas, a relatively unknown East Midlands business. Building a business relationship with her meant that she endorsed and promoted the company while getting a substantial discount for a new hot tub herself. 

Sophie Ellis Bextor with one of the endorsed spas

She posted pictures on social media and she also filmed a promotional video for the Danz Spas website.
Having celebrity endorsement promoted the company  and helped them see their annual turnover go above £1 million.

This shows just how much influence celebrities have on the public, which is why having them advertise companies and products over social media is great PR for both the celebrity and the companies.