Of celebrity endorsers and excusesThe brouhaha that hounded an e-commerce site on its decision to hire a controversial celebrity associated with some political personalities has revived the interest on celebrity endorsements. Thus, when I was invited to be a guest in a national broadcast program and was asked whether politics comes into play in hiring celebrity endorsers, I needed to contextualize my response. In choosing a celebrity endorser, the overall question that must always be asked is: Is this celebrity perfect for the brand? After all, the celebrity will be the extension of your brand; thus, the character of the celebrity becomes a major part of your brand identity. Other scholars advise marketing professionals that in choosing celebrity endorsements they must consider several factors.
