Whether it is Tiger Woods brandishing a TAG Heuer watch or let it be Nicole Kidman in Chanel adverts, companies all over the world willingly pay big bucks to celebrities in order to have a famous face associated with their products.

Celebrity branding is not a new phenomenon but from last few years, brand promotions without celebrities have become inevitable. Celebrities have become extremely important and valuable to brands, especially in the luxury fashion sector. Without any doubt, they play a significant role in making or breaking of a brand.

According to recent research statistics, the number of celebrity advertisements has doubled in the past ten years. However, have we ever thought why brands seek celebrity status to get famous? Celebrities, from the clothes they wear to the way they make up and accessorize their outfits, always impress people. Famous personalities are a major influence for our lifestyles so we always read the news related to what they wear. Mostly, celebrities promote clothing brands or footwear or perfume lines. Celebrity’s brands usually have high sales because people enjoy adapting famous people’s style.

To cut it short, I would say celebrity branding is all about transferring the value from a person to the product he/she endorses. Celebrities can be used in several ways to endorse a luxury fashion brand or show an association with the brand. The classic and most widely utilized method is the paid-for media advertisement mostly found in fashion magazines and on television. I have listed few benefits a brand can earn with celebrity backing.

• Celebrity endorsement helps to position and re-position existing brands.
• Brings global awareness to a brand.
• Promote a brand’s products and appeal.
• Celebrities contribute extensive PR advantage and opportunities for brands.

Now, let us observe the obvious primary benefits these brands bring in for celebrities. Turning up for a few photo shoots, appearing on an advert or two bring in stacks of cash home.

David Beckham channels action hero Indiana Jones in the newest TV ad for Pepsi. He teams up with five of the world’s most popular football stars Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard.

Hollywood icons and charismatic sport stars like Uma Thurman, Brad Pitt, Maria Sharapova and Tiger Woods have been playing the role of brand ambassadors to drive the TAG Heuer brand in its pursuit of perfection.

Aishwarya Rai the official brand ambassador for Loreal Paris; yet again shoots for its commercial, looking stunningly flawless like never before! As Aishwarya says- ‘L’Oreal- because I am worth it’

Thirty seven year old Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Connelly, has been chosen the brand ambassador of Revlon, the famous cosmetic company. She joins Revlon’s line-up of accomplished and glamorous women including Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry, actress Jessica Alba and Beau Garrett.

Celebrity endorsement is a big money making game and a great way to stay in the limelight. I bring you few figures of amount celebrities have been charging for their association with a brand.

• CATHERINE ZETA JONES brand ambassador for T-Mobile - £11.2m
• ANGELINA JOLIE brand ambassador for St. John - £6.7m
• NICOLE KIDMAN brand ambassador for Channel - £6.7m
• JULIA ROBERTS brand ambassador for Gianfranco Ferré - £2.8m
• BRAD PITT brand ambassador for Heineken, £2.2m
• PENELOPE CRUZ brand ambassador for L’Oreal, £2.2m

We buy big brand products without ever knowing how these names made history. I bring you the interesting stories of these brands getting their names.

It will be fun reading these facts, you will definitely enjoy!

Procter and Gamble:

 William Procter and James Gamble might never have met if had they not married sisters. The father of the brides convinced his new sons-in-law to become business partners and as a result, a bold, new enterprise was born.

Maybelline:

T.L. Williams created the Maybelline Company, which was named after his sister Maybel, whose dark lashes inspired him to come up with the idea of producing and selling an easy-to-use product to darken eyelashes.

Lacoste:

Rene Lacoste, a famous tennis player had a winning bet with his team captain over an alligator skin suitcase and after winning the bet, he started wearing an embroidered crocodile on his tennis blazer. He later founded a company to manufacture the shirt, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Flogers Coffee:

In 1850, an entrepreneur was looking for a carpenter to build his first coffee mill in San Francisco. He hired a 16 year old young but skilled in the trade of carpentry, carpenter James A. Folger. Later, became a full partner of The Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills.

Wendy:

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s Hamburgers, dreamt of running the best restaurant in the world, when he was eight and from the age of 12 he started following this dream. In 1969, his dream came true and he opened the first Wendy’s Old Fashioned.

Baskin Robbins:

As a teen, Irvine Robbins worked in his father’s ice cream store and Burton Baskin, was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and produced ice cream for his fellow troops. They started out in separate ventures but later their separate identities merged into a single ice-cream chain, world knows as Baskin-Robbins.

Hope you enjoyed this information about your favourite brands. If you know any interesting facts about any other brand, don’t hesitate to share.

As I always advice business owners, if you want to be looked upon as a successful entrepreneur, you need to be your own brand. However, entrepreneurs repeatedly make few critical mistakes, which can mess with their brand image.

Branding is not only using a simple logo to achieve product recognition. It should make your customer believe that your business is the perfect solution for their problems and the best choice in this tough competition.

To help you build a business brand I bring you few action items, such as:

1.Target your motive:

To brand yourself as Jack-Of-All-Trades, most importantly you need to know your specific aim to find an easy path to success.

2.Know your forte:

Try to brand a business about which suites your interest and you are confident about the information you have about it.

3.Recognize your special customers:

A critical step. Acknowledging your business type, know the specifics of your ideal client to have a much better idea of where to look for them.

4.Make your customer trust you:

To succeed in branding it is very important to understand your customers’ needs and demands, so that you can make them believe in your brand.

5.Create a memorable experience:

To win potential customers you need to offer them something unique from your competitors.

6.Deal with a unique approach:

If you really want to create a strong personal brand, you need to approach your customers with a unique message. From the level of your service, your logo and printed materials you need to sound different to attract ample of potential customers.

7.Have the courage to go against the trends:

It is good to listen to the drumbeat but if you want longevity, try not to fall prey to the trends which bundle of people are already using. It will make your business sound the same like others does.

In an increasingly challenging market flooded with fierce competitors and extremely savvy consumers, these action items will immensely help you strengthen your business branding and knock out the competition, Trust Me!