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The Suite Life: Can Celebrity Gifting and Event Sponsorship Build a Brand?

Do entrepreneurs that leverage celebrity gifting and event sponsorship fare better than their counterparts that do not?

Evan Morgenstein, President and CEO of CelebExperts, a company that helps businesses of all sizes secure the right celebrity spokespeople, says “The key to success … is to take the time to understand the business’ needs and budget in order to match the right celebrity to the requirements.” Morgenstein further asserts that, “the term ‘celebrity’ has such a tremendously wide range of definitions from actors and athletes, to authors and adventurers, and even business titans, reality TV stars and musicians.”

[pullquote align=”right”]”In the brave new world of social media, marketers are doubling down on celebrity endorsements, banking on stars’ earned media mojo to help their campaigns catch fire.”[/pullquote]For Johnson’s company, Bootglams, the magic endorsement came from Jamie Foster Brown, an editor and brand ambassador of Sister 2 Sister magazine. While Martin’s handcrafted clutches, instantly became popular with former Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams, who took notice of the clutches while browsing an event gifting suite.

The encounter started a continuing relationship between the songstress and the designer. “I often ship her new products, which she will wear and post photos of on her social media channels,” says Martin. “I couldn’t believe it when she carried one of my bags on the red carpet at the Grammy’s. Thankfully she warned me, so that I could be prepared for the onslaught of requests to follow!

AdAge attests that the celebrity social endorsements can pay off for brands. “In the brave new world of social media, marketers are doubling down on celebrity endorsements, banking on stars’ earned media mojo to help their campaigns catch fire.” Martin’s distribution strategy is tied heavily to this type of social influencer marketing approach.

Marketing on the online photo and video sharing social service, Instagram, she remains on the lookout for influencers who may not have a big name, yet boast a large social and fashion-forward following. “It’s amazing for business. I sell ridiculous numbers [sic] just through Instagram! The girls on Instagram are accessible celebrities. You can email, comment, interact… it’s an instant connection,” Martin explains.

While Johnson admits her company’s social media presence is currently their weakest link, increasing online and social media presence is one of her biggest short-term goals. “We have identified key celebrities, stylists and bloggers that we are targeting to maximize our exposure and network. Now that we have almost three years of testing [behind us], we are ready to market and grow.”

 

Disclosure: This article is brought to you by HAS Events. HAS Events has existing or prior business relationships with the brands featured and does not receive compensation from clients for sharing their views in this post. This article represents the sole viewpoints of HAS Events.

HAS Events is a Dallas-based luxury experiential marketing and event firm focused on creating emotional connections and brand activation experiences. With a history built on numerous years of brand experience, relationship building and event planning & management, founder Hamilton A Sneed and his team are passionate about bringing brands to life through strategic partnerships. Some of HAS Events clients have included Timothy Oulton, eVgo Network, Glam Rock Watches, Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, Beacon Audio, NFL PLAYERS and Jack Black Men’s Grooming.

 

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