Celeb-Branding Boosts Visibility In B2B Too

Celebrity Branding, in many cases, has proven to be effective marketing tool for even firms serving business markets. B2B celebrity branding classics such as Accenture – Tiger Woods, BT Business - Peter Jones, HP - Gwen Stefani, DuPont - Jeff Gordon, etc., put across that, celebrities, if properly aligned can greatly supplement B2B market communication effort to reinforce the brand or pitch the image and visibility. American professional golfer Tiger Woods, with his consistent top performance image reinforced and face-lifted Accenture (formerly Known as 'Anderson Consulting') through the campaign ‘High Performance, Delivered,’ immediately after re-branding as ‘Accenture.‘ By associating with Tiger Woods, Accenture could easily position itself as high  quality, consistent and reliable technology, consulting and outsourcing firm.

Celeb-branding strategies help B2B brands quickly and easily leapfrog cultural boundaries or elevate in a crowded commodity offerings market. But care should be taken so that cultural setting relates to the business context. For instance, Internet and communication solutions provider BT Business campaign featured Peter Jones (a star of the BBC’s Dragons' Den and proven businessman) in a TV ad alongside the gremlins, who attack the whole office leading to an IT meltdown. The celebrity campaign ‘Keep doing what you do best 24x7’ helped BT Business elevate its position in a crowded market.

Celebrity may or may not do ‘referencing’ as effectively as experts and clients do (probably because they don’t possess expert/referent power) in business markets. But, well-known personalities can act as catalysts to quickly scale B2B business across different cultures. Hewlett Packard (HP), for instance, through its campaign, 'The computer is personal again' featuring Gwen Stefani, a famous singer/fashion designer reached the graphic arts and small to medium-size business communities at a global level.

Sponsoring celebrity can also help a B2B brand convert visibility into its advantage. The global scientific major DuPont could take amazing sponsorship opportunity of Jeff Gordon-NASCAR car racing to its advantage. DuPont was immensely successful in creating derived demand for its innovations viz.,automotive finishes, Tyvek (house wrap), Teflon and FE-36 (fire extinguishing gas) by running innovative Motorsports-themed promotional programs and sweepstakes.

Like in B2C, risks also prevail in B2B contexts especially when celebrities’ professional or personal life shatters. The episode of Accenture getting into trouble when Tiger woods scandal became rather public in November 2009 stands latest example. Celebrities with consistent top image exactly reflecting desired B2B product/service attributes are rare. Though available, continuity of their success/image in long-term is uncertain. So a future-proof celebrity avoids risks. The strategy and effort may also become dysfunctional soon if stated performance isn’t proved simultaneously. Damage may not be immediate and high for B2B brands (for a proven brand). This is because clients’ perception doesn’t change and buying behavior is largely based on functional and service characteristics.

‘Celebrity branding’ strategy should be  carefully employed  by B2B marketers. Such strategy can be considered during periods of and situations like product launches, rebranding, scaling across cultures, etc. A balanced ‘celebrity branding’ campaign, crafted based on properly chosen future-proof celebrity matching with offering’s characteristics and relevant time-frame backed by suppliers’ performance can help B2B marketers in their branding effort.