For consumers who are not as excited about football, January and February are all about awards show season. Before the shows, red-carpet interviews give fans up-close-and-personal access to stars, including insights about what they’re thinking, what they’re wearing, and even what they’re drinking.
On the red carpet before the Golden Globes on Jan. 11, E! News co-anchor Giuliana Rancic waved around a bottle of Casamigos Tequila to entice actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal, to come talk to her. Rancic then invited the celebrity newlyweds to join her in a celebratory shot of George’s joint spirit venture with Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman, but the actor politely declined, saying that he did not want to drink before his speaking role in the ceremony.
This red carpet product promo got me thinking about how star power can boost a brand’s image. According to Euromonitor International’s Jonas Feliciano, brands associated with celebrities tend to rise and fall in popularity as the star does the same. In the case of George Clooney and Casamigos Tequila, Information Resources Inc. data show that the brand experienced 142 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2014, following his late-September nuptials and extended media coverage before and after the event.
Brands also can rise in popularity as their celebrity representatives aggressively endorse them. For example, Aquahydrate announced in January that it now is the fastest-growing water in the United States, according to AC Nielsen data. Euromonitor’s Feliciano attributes some of this growth to aggressive campaigning by celebrity spokespeople and investors Sean “Diddy” Combs and Mark Wahlberg in talking to the press about their preference for the product.
These brands just go to show that some star power can go a long way.