On
October 6, 2010, the world was presented with a new social media app. At that
time, the social media industry was booming with Facebook, which allowed you to
connect with people all over the world and Twitter, which allowed the public to
watch the events of others lives via tweets. Kevin Systrom introduced Instagram
to the world. Today, Instagram is now of the most popular social media
application used. In the Forbes Magazine, Jayson DeMers comments about
instagram, “With 200 million monthly users, Instagram has
become the network when it comes to image-based social media
marketing.”(DeMers). Instagram allows people to share pictures with their
followers. Huge portions of instagram accounts are celebrity based. Celebrities
are using instagram to promote themselves and the brand they are attached to.
Many celebrities post photo with different brands they are associated with. As
Instagram grows it attracts more users, so now celebrities use the app as a self-marketing
tool. The more followers, the more
likely they will be talked about and the more likely they can increase their
self-branding.
I
believe Instagram is a great way for celebrities to enhance their values of endorsements.
This is because the more likes celebrities receive on their instagram photos,
the more likely companies with pay or send them free items, in order for them
to post a photo with their brands. In Q
Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements, Henry Schafer comments, “Q Scores identify the most enthusiastic consumers of a
personality, character or licensed property, program, or brand. Derived from
our data collection model of the Favorites Concept, the Q Scores measure
of likeability is an important predictor of greater consumer involvement”(Henry).
The more popular the celebrity, the more likely they are to sell a produce. I think that the more celebrities promote
themselves, the more they expand their brands.
Many celebrities have extremely high number of followers. For example, Kim
Kardashian posted
a photo about how she wanted to break the Internet. The photo was outlandish but went viral. The
purpose of this photo was to expand her fan base and to expand the Kardashian brand. The more publicity the photo gets, the more
the celebrities’ brands go up. In 3 More
Reasons for Brands to Use Instagram to Boost Influence and Drive Sales,
Justin Rezvani states, “Instagram is a unique medium for brand advertising
unlike any other platform in the social space. The visually driven community
allows users to communicate in the universal language of photos and videos,
opening the world to the possibility of more "humanized''
content.”(Rezvani).
Marketing
and promoting has change throughout the years. Now with a single photo,
celebrities can promote anything they want. I think one of the best celebrities
that contribute to their own brand is Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift keeps her
followers updated on her life and promotes new projects through her photos. For
example, when her new album was coming out she had a countdown. Each day for 10
day she posted a different photo through Instagram to keep her followers
interested in what her big news was. I found that by her doing this, it had
people talking about her and the music she makes.
There are other social media platforms celebrities
can use, but I believe that Instagram is the best way to directly connect with
fans. Instagram is the easiest way for celebrities to keep their personal brands
alive. I think that celebrities use Instagram because it is convenient for
them. According to Business Insider, the most popular celebrity on instagram is
Kim Kardashian and
then Beyoncé. Both of these celebrities use
social media to stay relevant and connect with their fans. Beyoncé did not
announce she was making another album but solely relied on social media to
trend the image she posted. Kim Kardashian uses Instagram to not only promote her own self-brand
but also the endorsements she receives. There are millions of people on Instagram
that follow their favorite celebrities.
The more pictures celebrities’ posts, the more likes they will get and
the more recognition they will receive to their self-brand.
DeMers,
Jayson. "The Top 7 Social Media Marketing Trends That Will Dominate
2015." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.<
Rezvani, Justin.
"3 More Reasons for Brands to Use Instagram to Boost Influence and Drive
Sales." Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur, 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 Mar.
2015 <
Kosoff, Maya.
"The 79 Most Popular Instagrammers In The World." Business Insider.
Business Insider, Inc, 06 Jan. 2015. Web. 28 Mar. 2015.<
Schafer, Henry.
"Q Scores Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements." Q Scores
Blog: The Value of Celebrity Endorsements. QScores, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 29
Mar. 2015.<http://qscores.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-value-of-celebrity-endorsements.html>
Abigail Sisti
Abigail Sisti
“If it wasn't posted to Instagram, did it even happen? Not if you're a celebrity.” (Marcus). Instagram has definitely made its mark in the social media world and I don’t think its going anywhere anytime soon. It is a great way for Celebrities and companies to promote themselves as well as other brands through photographs and videos. Endorsements by celebrities are a pretty simple way for companies to get their product to a large audience. It may cost a significant amount of money to convince the celebrity to do an endorsement, but then all they need is for them to post a picture using or somehow endorsing the product, and BAM there it is on the screens of millions of users Instagram feeds. According to The Value of Celebrity Endorsements, “The key ingredient for making this work is insuring that the celebrity spokesperson is perceived to be compatible with the brand and the product category, and that these important perceptions are based on the brand's target consumers (primary purchasers)” (Schafer). It is very important that the celebrity is promoting the product or brand in a positive manor that would make people want to use it. I would definitely agree that many times the promotion of an Instagram is to promote themselves. These top celebrities such as Beyonce and Kim are getting millions of likes, which in turn adds to their popularity and then adds to their worth. I believe that Instagram has really been so popular among Celebrities and fans because it really adds a connection between them. Rather than just reading a 130-character post on twitter, fans can feel they have interacted with the celebrity to be able to see real-time life things that they are doing. It is a really unique way for celebrities to reach a large fan base. In David Marshall’s The Promotion and Presentation of Self, he states, “…Madonna became an expert at translating subcultural style for its wider mediation through popular music, performance and music videos for more than two decades” (Marshall, 428). This is how musicians and other celebrities used to have to promote style and their brand, now they can just post a photo on Instagram. It is interesting to think that there was a time before Instagram and that there will eventually be a time after Instagram, in the meantime hopefully celebrities will keep using it to promote themselves and their brands in a positive way.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
"10 Top Entertainment Moments in Twitter History." The Hollywood Reporter. 20 March 2015. Web.
P. David Marshall, “The Promotion and Presentation of Self: Celebrity as Marker of Presentational Media,” in The Media Studies Reader, Laurie Ouelette, ed. (New York: Routledge, 2012), 427 - 438.
"The Value of Celebrity Endorsements." QScores.com 27 Jan. 2014. Web.
Instagram is another way for celebrities of any kind to build their brand. I do not have an instagram so am not so familiar with the ins and outs and how the application works. Although, I do have many friends, if not most of them who have an instagram and they say it has slowly become the new facebook. It is a way to procrastinate, follow people, and look at your friends and now even celebrities photos. Instagram beginning in 2010, has become the newest and fad and trend within social media. I see Instagram as a combination between twitter, because you can follow different celebrates like you do on twitter, and facebook, because you can see their pictures, just like Facebook. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, and Justin Timberlake just to name a few of the biggest musical artist are brilliant when it comes to the use of Instagram. They do not use Instagram like the other hundreds of thousands users on it, they use it to brand, and market themselves and their music. The “people who tinker around behind the scenes at Instagram came up with a list of the top celebrity moments of 2014.”
ReplyDeleteThese top celebrities moments according to the Huffington Post article are examples of how celebrities use Instagram as a marketing and branding tool. The top celebrity moment of 2014 according to Instagram was; “Blue Ivy and Beyonce killed it as Michael and Janet Jackson for Halloween,” referring to when Beyonce released her new album via Instagram and relied on the social media platform to spread the word to all of her fans. This newest album featured her baby daughter Blue, which was a hit among major Beyonce Fans. “Who runs the world? In entertainment, it’s Beyoncé. The singer has climbed to the No. 1 spot on the Forbes Celebrity 100 after an amazing year featuring a massive tour.” Going back ten years ago, artists would never try and release an album via a social media platform, but that shows you how powerful Instagram is. Additionally, how different types of people can use this application in many different ways. If you’re an average college student using Instagram it is not to endorse their brand, or what they are studying and majoring in college, versus celebrities like Beyonce. Another top celebrity moment of 2014 according to Instagram was when Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, “broke Instagram records with their wedding photo.” Those are just two small examples of how Instagram can impact a celebrity’s brand. Beyonces Husband, Jay Z, “places high on the Celebrity 100 this year, in sixth place with an estimated $60 million in earnings. That comes from a variety of sources, including his latest album, Magna Carta … Holy Grail; dozens of live shows; his growing Roc Nation empire and business ventures ranging from his 40/40 nightclub chain to his D’Ussé cognac. Arguably the greatest rapper of his generation also has millions of followers on Instagram and because of this it endorses his brand for the many businesses he is apart of. Instagram has become one of the main, if not the main tool of branding and marketing yourself if you are top celebrity.
Work Cited
"Beyoncé Knowles Tops The FORBES Celebrity 100 List." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 30 June 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. .
Marcus, Stephanie. "Top Celebrity Moments of 2014, According to Instagram." Top Celebrity Moments Of 2014, According To Instagram. Huffington Post, 16 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2014%2F12%2F16%2Fcelebrity-moments-instagram_n_6336024.htm
Colten Lucas
ReplyDeleteI agree, Instagram is a very useful and valuable social media platform. It has a huge impact on celebrity growth and the growth of a product that a celebrity may be promoting. Celebrities frequently use social media platforms like Instagram to connect directly with fans and to promote a certain brand. This social media platform is currently considered one of the most effective ways for celebrities to gain popularity, for celebrities to make income by promoting products, and for products to become in demand by consumers.
When celebrities promote a particular brand through their Instagram pictures, they give that brand visibility and also help shape the image of that brand. With respect to celebrity endorsement, “[t]he key ingredient for making this work is insuring that the celebrity spokesperson is perceived to be compatible with the brand and the product category, and that these important perceptions are based on the brand's target consumers” (Schafer). Ultimately, this is a very cost-effective arrangement. If a celebrity posts a picture of an interesting new product, the celebrity will get more “likes” for that photo, which helps the celebrity expand his or her own popularity. The celebrity does not have to spend any money to post the photo. In fact, the celebrity is often paid for the endorsement. While the promoters of the brand do have to pay the celebrity, it is still generally much cheaper for them to have the celebrity simply post photos on Instagram than to film a television commercial with that celebrity.
Other popular social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are also vehicles for celebrities to either self-promote or to promote a certain brand. In today’s world of Hollywood public relations, “[o]ne of the basic questions that studios now ask actors early on is whether they are on social media, because if they are, then they want to figure out ways to cross-promote.” (Markowitz). The reason why celebrity endorsement on social media is so effective is because of the amount of followers or fans that these celebrities have. If over 10,000 people follow this one celebrity, they are most likely to view this celebrity’s photo. The photo attracts attention to them and what they are sponsoring. People see a certain brand that there favorite celebrity is marketing and think maybe they would like to get this item because the celebrity is supporting or wearing it. Also, marketers have had to adapt their strategies to changes in consumer habits, especially for the younger population. People today are spending more and more time on social media platforms like Instagram and less time viewing typical platforms for advertising such as network television.
The relationship between a celebrity and a fan is very special and can be very valuable. As a fan of multiple celebrities on social media pages, I myself have been drawn to new pictures that these celebrities post with products. The celebrities themselves attract my attention while also attracting my attention to the product. I am not sure if I have ever consciously purchased a product because a celebrity endorsed it, but celebrity endorsements on social media have definitely shaped my perspective on particular brands.
Works Cited
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." Entertainment Weekly. 7 Dec. 2012.
Web. 28 Mar. 2015.
Schafer, Henry. "The Value of Celebrity Endorsements." QScores.com. 27 Jan. 2014.
Web. 28 Mar. 2015
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteInstagram has become such a popular app. At first there was Twitter where celebrities could connect with fans, other celebrities, or simply just post what they were doing to let fans know and become more connected with them. On Twitter, celebrities post behind the scene photos though the appearance of “backstage access”. It makes fans feel they are apart of their lives. At times it has been difficult to believe if celebrities were actually posting tweets or if it was someone from their team. Not all accounts are opporated by the celebrities themselves (Marwick and Boyd). It has been said that celebrities used Twitter for marketing purposes. For example in To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter, it shows a tweet where Miley, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez interact with each other and call each other best friends. The article states that the reason why they are expressing their love and friendship for each other is because they want fans to know that they are friends and it is considered a strategic frontstage performance (Marwick and Boyd). While Twitter has connected celebrities and fans, Now there is Instagram where celebrities can connect even more with their fans on a deeper level.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you’re saying in terms of Instagram being a marketing ploy. I’ve seen celebrities such as Lea Michelle from Glee and Andi Dorfman from The Bachelor constantly promoting healthy food and different fitness programs. The Kardashians are always promoting their own products on their accounts such as their books, hair products, and makeup. You would think these celebrities would try to subtly market their products through their Instagram posts, but some of the celebrities are too obvious and with their marketing tactics. However I do think some celebrities are using their accounts to connect with users on a different level.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Taylor Swift try to promote anything but her album, which was the one marketing tactic I was aware of. I agree and believe she was very smart in promoting her album and surprising her fans each day with new photos. It kept the fans engaged. It kind of was a reminder that “hey, I’m still writing songs and if you wait 10 more days you’ll be able to listen to them. In the article titled, Top Celebrity Moments of 2014, According to Instagram,, there’s also a picture of Taylor Swift with a fan from her private party (Marcus). It almost looks like they are friends and that Taylor is not even a celebrity. I always see her posting pictures with fans and pictures of her doing normal day things .In the article there is a mix of photos. Some photos include celebrities promoting albums and while others are promoting pictures of their families.
I think imaged based social media is a better way to connect with fans. When celebrities take “selfies” for some reason it makes it seem like they are like every other person on Instagram (except for me because I don’t take selfies). All in all I think celebrities are trying to market themselves or a certain product.
Marcus, Stephanie. "Top Celebrity Moments of 2014, According to Instagram." Top Celebrity Moments Of 2014, According To Instagram. Huffington Post, 16 Dec. 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.
Boyd, Danah, and Alice Marwick, To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies May 2011 17: 139-158 Web. 31. Mar. 2015