Celebrity brands get attention – but can they thrive long term?

In the past few years, we’ve seen a significant rise in the use of celebrity status as a way to grow brand awareness.

A ‘celebrity creator’ has become prevalent in the drinks industry, and particularly the non-alcoholic segment. The likes of Katy Perry, Bella Hadid, Blake Lively, Lewis Hamilton and, more recently, Tom Holland have all become founders or co-creators of non-alcoholic brands. But do celebrity-endorsed brands have a better chance of success than the average founder-led one?

When a well-known name announces they are launching their own product, it’s almost guaranteed to attract media attention. For a category such as the non-alcoholic industry, this can be important, as it can attract new consumers to what is a relatively young category.

We’ve seen success so far for Kylie Minogue in wine, but can a celebrity-endorsed brand take off in the low & no space? I think authenticity and trust are fundamental pillars from which to build. An example is Tom Holland’s recent announcement about the launch of his own non-alcoholic beer, Bero. Holland has been vocal for a number of years about his journey towards sobriety and his issues with alcohol. He has millions of young fans who will completely trust in his journey as a brand owner.

However, if a celebrity-endorsed brand is just looking to make a quick buck, and perhaps doesn’t have quite as genuine a back story, then it can call their credibility into question.

And as with any partnership, aligning your brand to a well-known personality or celebrity comes with an element of risk. With increasing real-time access to information via the media and social media, we have seen how a celebrity’s reputation can be tarnished in a matter of days, sometimes indefinitely. Once you have a aligned your brand to a particular person, you risk irreparable damage and lost customers.

If you can’t afford to bring in a star with a great reputation, do not despair! There are plenty of examples of brands that are building an incredibly loyal base of customers who buy into an authentic founder-led story – which takes years to build.

Be careful of falling into the trap of a ‘quick win’ and remember celebrities often come and go to be replaced by the next new kid on the block.