Entry 1.

“The Marketing Psychology Behind Celebrity Endorsements.” Knowledge at Wharton, 30 May 2023, knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-marketing-psychology-behind-celebrity-endorsements/.

Introduction

Angie Basiouny is a writer and editor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Wrote a complex paper in which she dives into the celebrity marketing enigma. As she and her colleagues Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, Managing Director, Wharton Neuroscience Initiative, and, Michael Platt, James S. Riepe University Professor, Professor of Marketing, Professor of Psychology, Professor of Neuroscience. They research the Neuroscience Behind Consumer Choices.

Quote

“The researchers believe the ability of celebrities to persuade is rooted in evolution and biology. Both humans and primates will follow the lead of high-status, high-prestige individuals in their group by aligning their gaze or copying their decisions. This behavior is seen in the wild, when monkeys turn to look at whatever a higher-status monkey is looking at in the trees, or in the office, when employees model their work after the top-rated employee. When the leader is successful, others require less evidence to make the same choice”

Interpretation

The passage describes how the persuasive influence of celebrities is connected to our evolutionary and biological tendencies. It showcases that both humans and primates have a natural inclination to imitate or follow the actions of individuals who hold high status or prestige within their social group. Overall, the passage highlights the intrinsic human and primate behavior of mimicking high-status individuals, illustrating how this inclination contributes to the persuasive power of celebrities and influential figures. It underscores the impact of perceived success and authority in reducing the need for extensive evidence or reasoning when making decisions within a social group.

Analyze

This highlights an intriguing connection between the persuasive power of celebrities and an innate behavior observed in both humans and primates, emphasizing the influence of high-status individuals in decision-making processes.

It remarked four different key points for my research. One is the evolutionary and biological stand as it parallels humans and privatives. Two are social influence and mimicry take an enormous role in decision-making in our current world. Three is the conjunction of leadership and decision-making, as individuals are very likely to follow the footsteps of leaders or high statues who are successful, affecting the choices of the masses who admire and idolize these successful figures. And last would be how socially powerful individuals create credibility for products. This points to a phenomenon where individuals may rely on the perceived success or credibility of the leader rather than independently evaluating the decision.

Apply

Overall, this text highlights the social dynamics and behavioral tendencies that suggest a link between the persuasive power of celebrities and inherent evolutionary inclinations among humans and primates to follow high-status individuals. It emphasizes the impact of influential figures on decision-making processes and the reduced need for evidence when these figures are perceived as successful or high-status. This reinforces my belief that celebrities are very influential in the marketing process and that they should be more responsible with the products, lifestyles, and trends they endorse. Sharing them with their audiences has a major impact on consumers’ lives and economies.

Entry 2

“Playlist Celeb Brand Collabs Created by @Hannahzook.” TikTok, www.tiktok.com/@hannahzookpop/playlist/celeb%20brand%20collabs-7094681596514650923?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc.

Summary:

In this collection of TikTok videos named “celeb brand collabs”, The platform creator Hannah Zook explores brand partnerships between a large variety of brands that market clothing, beverages, skincare, makeup, luggage, cars, streaming services, and many more products with celebrities. She has about 30 TikTok videos in which she shares her opinions with her audience, as she is a small creator sharing her honest opinions on the topic. She teaches her audience about past, and current marketing in which celebrities endorse products.

In one of her videos, Hannah Hook comments on Influencer Emma Chamberlin’s collaboration with Aritzia for its Fall 2022 collection. Hook comments on how this collaboration fits Emma’s audience very well as quoted by Hook “It’s such a genius thing for Aritzia to do, Emma has been known for her, quiet luxury sense of fashion for like a really long time now. And the amount of trends Emma has started, pushed over the past few years.”

In another of her videos, Hook comments oh Rare Beauty owned by Singer and Actress Selena Gomez teams with Hulu Show: Only Murders In The Building” starring Selena herself.

Hook comments “I’m constantly talking about Rare Beauty because they do everything so well but listen, I’ll stop talking to them once Selena and her team stop making the best decision. They did put together a Mabel Morris must-haves collection, which is Selena’s character.” She also mentions “ It’s smart because Rare Beauty skews a little bit into the younger side and a lot of older people like Only Murders In The Building so this might be the introduction to the brand.” She later adds in awe video “This is amazing to tap into a new market”.

Later in her video collection, she dedicates a few videos talking about “Got milk?”

In one of them, she starts off “in the early 2000’s literally the way you’d know if someone famous of If they made it, was if they were in a Got Milk? Ad. It wasn’t just actresses or singers” She said. Adding later into her video “ I also need to know if any other company has paid as much money as they have for like Celebrity endorsement, they had no bound”

Rhetorical Analysis

Utilizing a TikTok video collection seems a bit risky because it’s such a fast-paced platform, in terms of video length, and also the fact that is very accessible by just anyone with access to the internet, anyone can create an account a post videos. But to me, the creator Hannah Hook, seems to be commenting on many of the brand partnerships I was not aware of and also commenting on them as she gave her point of view to her audience so it felt very honest and conducive as she just a regular woman who consumes content and likes to discuss it online.

It is not a newsletter platform, not a college professor or a scientist. It’s just a common individual. It gives me a sense of credibility because she’s not getting paid to talk about this.

She hits a lot of the same thoughts, I had as she mentioned many partnerships.

How they might’ve been fit for what she believes is the target audience of this advertising.

Or she suggests what might’ve been alternatives that would’ve been more successful.

In my opinion, she’s doing a good job of creating education and awareness about advertising and marketing to the common people. Discussion of her beliefs and ideas Hannah has made over 30+ videos on brand partnerships between celebrities and commercial brands.

She also discusses money that came and went out of these campaigns. Which was one of the main points of this research. The amount of money that would be required to be able to bring celebrities into the brand campaigns, and get them to sign the contracts for the likelihood and audience management in order to promote these products. Some of these endorsements cost more than what a common human being might’ve seen in their entire lives.

Also, the money that might’ve been gained by adding these celebrities as the face of such brands expands the company’s consumer audience, increasing loyalty, and of course generating more sells.