Celebrity Endorsement and Influencer Marketing

Social media influencers have been at the peak of pop culture for the past few years, everyday people suddenly becoming celebrities and influencers for Millennials and Generation Z. Calling themselves creators, influencers now exist in every industry and have widespread, highly engaged followings; many companies are eager to work with them to build their brands. This text offers an overview of influencer marketing, focusing on collaboration between organizations and influencers. Brand managers, agency professionals, new influencers, and students will particularly benefit from this book, gaining practical advice and learning from examples in areas such as the Creator Economy, typology of influencers, and considerations for campaign design. A valuable introduction to the influencer marketing ecosystem and the influencer marketing relationships framework, Celebrity 2.0 shows how content marketing, native advertising, and influencer marketing can effectively come together. Chapter 3 offers a broad overview of influencers, starting with a discussion on influencers as opinion leaders. Celebrity endorsement and marketing has a long history, while influencer marketing is new, which means there are many different definitions of influencer marketing. Several example definitions are given as well as important considerations concerning influencer marketing. Social media influencers are sometimes called micro-celebrities; seen as regular people, they have some level of influence over their audience. Based on their number of followers and if they have influence beyond social media, influencers are grouped into micro-influencers and macro-influencers. More specific tiers can also be used, such as nano-influencers and mega influencers. Using employees as influencers is explored as well as how marketing managers can choose the best influencer for their goals.