Quality: Marketing’s most powerful tool
UncategorisedPosted by: Dental Design 16th July 2020
Today, you can’t turn the TV on, go online or even venture outside without seeing the “hottest” celebrities endorsing a string of products. It is, after all, one of the oldest tricks in the book, using celebrities to influence consumers’ buying behaviours – and a highly successful one at that, at least for some companies. When Nicole Kidman became the face of Chanel in 2003, for instance, global sales reportedly increased by a staggering 30%.[i] Similarly, when Nike signed a sponsorship deal with golfer Tiger Woods, they experienced a 3% rise in their market share in six months[ii] – although this positive relationship soon took a nose dive once the press got wind of Woods’ extramarital affair and suspicious car crash. Indeed, thanks to their association with Woods, Nike lost $1.7 million in sales and 105,000 customers.[iii] The question is, how do these celebrities have so much pull with consumers, and how can society be so easily swayed?
Well, according to one study, it’s because the human brain recognises celebrities as if they were people we actually know, which encourages us to place a higher value on the products they are endorsing.[iv] Essentially, this has the same effect as if we were receiving advice from a valued friend. It’s safe to say that there’s also an element of copycatting. Indeed, many people believe that if they purchase a product that is promoted – or in some cases used – by their favourite celebrity, they will either achieve the same results or obtain the very appearance/traits that they admire. This is because consumers associate celebrities’ beauty, success, skill, fortune and everything else they deem important, with a particular brand.
That being said, there are some demographics that are not so easily influenced by celebrity endorsements. The Silent Generation (those aged 65+) is apparently the least bothered by what the rich and famous are advertising, followed by the Boomers and Generation X. Instead, it’s the younger cohorts that are more readily swayed – particularly Gen Z. This is according to a Nielsen Report that looked at global trust in advertising. It argues that social media plays a huge factor in this, as youngsters use platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to engage and build intimate connections with celebrities, which in turn makes it easier for stars to plug products or brands.[v]
It certainly helped HiSmile – a tooth whitening company from Australia – go from a small, relatively unknown company to a $40 million business. HiSmile no doubt helped other whitening brands too, and in large part because Kim Kardashian made several posts on her Instagram page about using the product. It is possible too that celebrities have helped influence recent trends such as orthodontics. We know, after all, that a number of stars have used social media to promote a range of orthodontic appliances, from Justin Bieber supporting Invisalign on his YouTube channel, to Shawn Mendes “tweeting” about his campaign with SmileDirectClub.
However, for all the product success stories, there are equally as many that have failed to reap the rewards of celebrity endorsements – for no other reason than that the marketing technique is great for recall in many cases, but not for sales. This argument has been echoed in a number of studies, including one entitled “Contemporary Ideas and Research in Marketing”,[vi] which found that only 15% of participants said that celebrities have a direct influence on purchasing decisions. The other 85% said that marketing simply enhances their confidence and preference for a product.
As for how celebrity endorsements fare when it comes to buying oral healthcare products, research conducted by the Oral Health Foundation shows that less than one in 20 base their decisions on what stars promote. Instead, the charity claims that it is brand power that has the potential to draw consumers in – at least that was the case for 41% of their respondents. Other influencing factors include cost and recommendations by a dental professional.[vii] This goes to show that while celebrities have the power to attract consumers to a product, it ultimately has to be backed up by quality.
That’s why you have to be careful when selecting what oral healthcare solutions you’re going to promote in your practice. For a brand you can rely on, try Curaprox. As well as having an impeccable reputation, the Swiss oral healthcare leader is renowned for producing quality, patient-driven products that help users achieve a safe, gentle and effective clean. Amongst the leading Curaprox products are the CS 5460 manual toothbrush, as well as the Hydrosonic Easy and Hydrosonic Pro toothbrushes, all of which feature ultra-soft CUREN® bristles and compact brush heads to help patients access hard-to-reach areas.
The use of celebrities in marketing and advertising can be extremely useful and achieve successful results. At the end of the day, however, it’s the quality of products and brand power that hold the selling potential, so why not let them do the talking? Of course, a nudge in the right direction can go a long way, so be sure to recommend first-class dental adjuncts you know your patients will love and benefit from.
For more information please call 01480 862084, email info@curaprox.co.uk or visit www.curaprox.co.uk
Author: Dawn Woodward National Sales manager Curaprox UK
[i] Creswell J. “Nothing sells like celebrity.” New York Times 22 (2008): L1. Accessed online 11 March 2020 at https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/business/worldbusiness/22iht-22celeb.13876488.html
[ii] Chung K YC, Derdenger T. Srinivasan K. Economic Value of Celebrity Endorsement: Tiger Woods; Impact of Nike Golf Balls. In Marketing Science 32(2):271 – 293 · January 2013. DOI: 10.1287/mksc.1120.0760. Accessed online 11 March 2020 at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228435410_Economic_Value_of_Celebrity_Endorsement_Tiger_Woods’_Impact_on_Sales_of_Nike_Golf_Balls
[iii] CBS News. ‘Did Nike Really Gain From Tiger Woods’ Scandal, as the Numbers Suggest?’ Updated on 14 December 2010. Accessed online 11 March 2020 at https://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-nike-really-gain-from-tiger-woods-scandal-as-the-numbers-suggest/
[iv] Yeh HR et al. “The Influences of Perceived Value on Consumer Purchase Intention: The Moderating Effect of Advertising Endorser.” (2011). Accessed online 11 March 2020 at https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Influences-of-Perceived-Value-on-Consumer-%3A-The-Yeh-Chien/a7fb5e9be41206bc2bda7211773ccb24c0b9f833
[v] Nielsen. Global Trust In Advertising: Winning Strategies For An Evolving Media Landscape. Published September 2015. Accessed online 11 March 2020 at https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/04/global-trust-in-advertising-report-sept-2015-1.pdf
[vi] Baig E et al. ‘Contemporary Ideas and Research In Marketing. First edition 2013.
[vii] Oral Health Foundation. ‘Brand power beats celebrity endorsements when it comes to oral health buying habits’. Published 7 June 2018. Accessed online 11 March 2020 at https://www.dentalhealth.org/news/brand-power-beats-celebrity-endorsements-when-it-comes-to-oral-health-buying-habits
No Comments
No comments yet.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
