What Businesses Can Learn From Celebrities About Brand Strategy
With TIFF 2014 underway in Toronto, the city is abuzz with talk about films, parties, and celebrities. One flip through any social media channel will broadcast images used as bragging rights among friends like when you tell that story of “that time we hung out with Shemar Moore…” or “I went to a party with Reese Witherspoon.” When it’s actually happening, it’s more often than not a brush on the sidewalk when a fan adoringly asks for a picture, or maybe you happened to be at the same event and caught them walking by. However, the story always becomes one of reverence and awe-inspiring glory that is broadcasted with the hope of making everyone else jealous.
It’s more than name dropping. It is something that taps into a deep part of our brains and makes us embellish to feel good about ourselves.
What is it that makes everyone so bewitched by celebrities? And how can you cash in on the magic when it comes to your brand?Here are four ways to bring help bring that celebrity charm to your brand:
#1 Be real
Celebrities like Bill Murray, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Emma Stone are all beloved by multiple generations of fans. One thing they have in common is that they seem like people you would want to hang out with. In fact Bill Murray has become known for just showing up and making a night of it (There’s even a dedicated website)!As a brand, your business should make itself approachable, personable, and authentic. Figure out who you are and thread that through all of your content, social media interaction, and every day operations. Don’t try to be something you aren’t, your audience will see through it!
#2 Perfection doesn’t mean everything is perfect
For the most part, celebrities attend events and they appear flawless. During awards season and for any red carpet, audiences drink in the gorgeous gowns and dapper suits. However, in spite of this, there will always be wardrobe malfunctions. A rip, a slip, a broken zipper or shoe. Celebs like Jennifer Lawrence are familiar with this. She simply says, this is me, take it or leave it, and laughs it off.
In business, you will undoubtedly have set-backs as you grow, and that won’t stop when you get larger. The key is facing it with a bit of personality. Set-backs don’t mean the end of the world! What matters is how you deal with them to come out on top. A recent example is how Digiorno Pizza dealt with their unfortunate Twitter mistake with sincere and individualized apologies.
#3 A little glamour goes a long way
Source: http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/drink_recipes/glamour-gal/#axzz3D0rFgb7A
We have all seen the gossip articles about what this star looks like without makeup “can’t she just put on some blush?” In all seriousness, celebrities are people and they do deserve their downtime, however, when they step out, all it takes is a little black dress, some lipstick, and mascara. Not every day can be the Oscars.
The same applies to your business, however, you will find that you actually do always have to be on. You may have set hours for operations, but social media doesn’t slow down for that. You should always have your best food forward. And if you’re planning an event, sometimes less is more. You don’t have to execute with wild budgets to have a fantastic event. It is all about strategically placed “glamour” that plays to your audience’s needs/wants.
#4 Work with someone on your image
Unless you are Bill Murray, who allegedly has never used a publicist and of late doesn’t use an agent, you should consider talking to an outside consultant. While you ultimately are the one who knows who you want to be as a brand, sometimes a third party can help you translate that into a brand strategy to take to your audiences, whether it be through content, events, influencers, etc.
So the next time you hear that bit of gossip about your favourite celebrities look past the story on the surface to see if there is anything you can use for your business strategy!