How perfectly-picked star power can shine a light on your R+B.
“By definition, remarkable things get remarked upon.” — Seth Godin
In chapter 1 of our mini-series on Brand Association, we discovered how retail/restaurant concepts can pay dividends for hospitality venues. This time, we’re taking it a step further to explore whether the star power of just one famous person can truly have an impact on F+B.
Well, firstly the concept is nothing new. Celebrity endorsements are a marketing strategy as old as… marketing.
● Josiah Wedgewood used royal endorsements to sell his blue and white pottery in the 1700s.
● 1936 Olympic Gold Medal-winner Jesse Owens promoted the sneakers of the Dassler brothers, which in turn helped them both find later success with their brands, Adidas and Puma.
● Boxer George Foreman put his name to a best-selling grill in a strange but unbelievably successful brand partnership.
● Brook Shields and THAT Calvin Klein advert.
But most recently, the collaboration that seems to be really working out for all those involved, according to industry analysts, is that of the ‘eats and celebs’ variety.
Take one star, combine it with a limited-time menu at an iconic food brand and get ready to see some serious returns.
Whether McDonald’s and a special menu based on the orders of the likes of
Korean boy band BTS, Travis Scott and Megan Thee Stallion, Shawn Mendes hawking Chipotle, Taylor Swift selling Starbucks, Justin Bieber repping Tim Hortons or even Tiktok stars selling doughnuts for Dunkin’, famous faces have meant big bucks for the brands they work with.
And what of the future?
Brand consultant Edward Cotton has this to say in Vox- “You’ve got this outrageous celebrity with no investment in R&D for the product, and the celebrity’s just so much value,” he says. “As you move further down the celebrity food chain, do you have to start putting something into your product to make the whole package interesting?”
Long story short, it is likely that the most of these collaborations we see, the more diluted the impact of that collaboration. And when your offering is not of the globally renowned fast-food variety, how can you even align this sort of collaboration with fare that’s a little more upmarket?
Short of starting a non-profit vegan restaurant with music producer Moby or an Italian restaurant with director Francis Ford Coppola, some of the most fruitful collaborations for your F+B will likely start a little closer to home with stars that have a little more local flavour.
Whilst burger-hawking celeb collabs may not stay cool forever, you can guarantee that the opinions of trusted locals like food writers and social media stars from your home town will always be valued. More lucrative return for less expenditure on big names? That’s the way to go.
To find out more about the strategy behind fast food celebrity endorsements, head to this piece from Business Insider.
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