How celebrities impact brand sales and product exposure

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It's no doubt that celebrities have influence on today's society.  People tend to look up to their lifestyles because they wish to live lives similar to theirs and also because they appear credible to consumers. They look at the cars they drive, the diets they're on, the clothes they wear, and the overall trends they take part in. It's something that has always been present, however, with the rise of social media, brands have been utilizing celebrities more and more to drive sales through branded product placement throughout their posts. According to Lily Bradic, content strategist, in her article on Socialmediaweek.org, "Brand Endorsements on Social Media," this advertising tactic has a direct effect on consumer behavior and sales data.

According to Bradic, " Brands will pay top dollar to sign celebrities with the expectation of a return on their investments. Marketwatch shows us that even a simple announcement from a brand signing a celebrity or athlete can cause the stock prices of the company to rise (ever so slightly, but still impressive nonetheless). The research also states that sales will likely increase 4% (on average) after signing a celebrity."

To elaborate on exactly what these social media posts typically look like, the Kardashians are a well-known example of this. Each brand often has different policies or guidelines, but in terms of product placement, it's often done in a casual manner in order to make it appear natural and as though it's part of the celebrity's daily routine, as Bradic explains,  "When brands establishing a relationship and connection to popular names in entertainment, sports, fashion, and other verticals, there is the potential to boost sales drastically, especially when the consumer believes the product or service is actually used by the celebrity him or herself." The Kardashians are highly sought after by brands to advertise their products due to their high following and how eyes always seem to be on them for the next big trend. Examples of a few brands they have partnered with include FitTea, a trendy detox tea supplement, and Sugar Bear Hair, a hair growth vitamin. 

They place these products in their photos in the hopes of convincing consumers to buy the product. It's typically along the lines of a picture of them using the product with a caption explaining why they like it. Aditionally, another tactic is attaching their name to a coupon code to further entice customers to purchase the product. 

Celebrities have a huge impact on society in general. So in turn, now that brands are using their influence and bringing it into one of the largest forms of modern advertising, social media, it proves that it can be very effective in gaining exposure and increasing sales.