Opinions

Movie stars, royalty and the fabulously rich and famous have been influencing people for years. ‘Star power’ influences the behaviour of millions of people around the world and, in many cases, leads to what products, services and brands they buy. 

As commercialisation of sport has continued its rapid rise, so had the impact of the respective stars. In many cases, it’s not their obscene wealth, but their skills and abilities that thrill audiences globally. Millions cheer their support as these stars do the seemingly impossible each time they compete. It doesn’t stop there; these modern-day heroes have grown their ability to commercialise their position. People care what boots they’re wearing, cars they’re driving and products they’re using.

A report by Neilsen and BrandAdvantage has captured prominence of kiwi’s top male and female sports stars in the public’s mind across a range of consideration sets; deriving a ‘star power ranking’. Lydia Ko, our favourite golfing prodigy edged out both Valarie Adams and Richie McCaw for the highest ranking in terms of notoriety with Sarah Walker rounding out the top ten that included four males and six females.

Engaged correctly, stars can drive new growth in sales, customer retention, and stakeholder value; but paying for an endorsement of someone without knowing if they’re a good fit is a commercial risk. When engaging with a star, consider who else they are working for, the brand values of these other corporates and what share of voice you will have.

We all understand that these influences are powerful and frequent, but the question is, will this work for your brand and who is right for you?

This entry was posted in blog on July 01, 2016.