As a brand strategy agency, it’s our responsibility to build a brand to all that it can be in the eyes of the media. Strategic counsel on the scope of work could include product placements, media relations and counsel, digital marketing and so much more. When the brand belongs to a celebrity, however, there is more work to be done.
Working with celebrities to amplify their brand is a thrilling experience as they often have a unique perspective to brand strategy, approach, etc. In terms of highlighting the brand to the media, they usually only see one component: the celeb. Honestly, there’s no problem with that! However, this still leaves the question: How do you make a brand more meaningful than the celebrity founder? There are a few ways to do this, check them out:
Drive the Mission in Media Communications
More often than not, brands have a unique, heart-warming mission that deserve the spotlight. Working at a lifestyle public relations firm with clients across a wide variety of industries including food & beverage, franchise and more, there are a ton of different ways to amplify this with media relations and counsel. First when drafting press materials, make it a habit to include the brands’ mission within every pitch, even if it’s just a one-liner. This way when you’re reaching out to business, lifestyle or consumer media, the message is always easy to find and a quick “pull and drop” from the pitch to the published story.
Next, there’s ‘brand profile’ outreach. Aiming to secure that story where there’s an opportunity to highlight the history and the future goals and strongly emphasize the mission of the brand is key.
Media relations and counsel isn’t the only opportunity to drive the mission of the brand – open it up bit! To get the word out, tap into digital marketing, social media marketing, award submissions, content marketing… the list is honestly endless. Of course, connections with influencers has proven very successful for our public relations firm. There’s an opportunity to make a great connections with individuals that are passionate about the brand, the mission and are eager to share that with their followers. And, not only are you making a connection with the influencers, you’re making a more personalized connection with your audience! Having the team be “all hands-on deck” with customer service / relations will only help humanize the brand and make it more relatable to the average joe.
Encourage the team to participate in philanthropy
Let’s take a step outside of the media world for a second because there’s more to making a brand stand out from the celebrity founder than PR, right? Now more than ever, we need to encourage mutual support of one another and help our communities. Come together as a brand and discuss how you can lend a helping hand to your community not only in times of need but on a daily basis. Where do your passions stem from? Why are you eager to make a difference? What could you be doing more of in this capacity? Having that inner sense of doing more for others outside of your scope speaks mountains to who your brand who you want to be.
Highlight the one-of-a-kind qualities of the brand
This may seem obvious, but it is sometimes underrated. What makes your product / service different from others on the market? Do you offer something that is the first-of-its-kind? Are you leading innovation in the category? If any of these are true, that’s something you want to amplify! Also, a lot of the time we hear what products / services are “free of.” For CPG (consumer packaged goods) food brands, it’s usually “free of preservatives, gluten-free,” etc. While that’s all fine and dandy, I want to challenge you to flip the script and emphasize what your brand brings to the table by discussing your robust offerings. For example, if you’re launching a new energy drink founded by celebs that is truly unique within the category as the product has added vitamins, nutrients, natural caffeine and more, shout it from the rooftops! If you’re product / service satisfies a consumer demand like no other on the market, that’s definitely something that’ll help your offerings stand out from the celebrity glam.
Partnerships!
Another great way to make a brand ‘bigger’ than the celeb is partnering with brands whose values align with yours. These types of partnerships complement each brand in a way that is not competitive, but rather drives the mission in new ways. For example, if you own a faux fur clothing brand and you partner with an animal rights company, that partnership highlights the positives of each.
Rethink the brand name
Last but certainly not least, a brand name has a long impact on those purchasing the product or service. While it may tempting to name your company after yourself (hey, don’t blame you), strive for a brand that has a deeper meaning that you know will also resonate well with the consumer. Does the name have a family history? Does it speak to something you’re passionate about? Does it have a meaning in the industry? The list goes on. Acronyms are also amazing for an element of surprise. This leaves the consumer wanting to learn more about what the name stands for and the meaning behind it.
Having a celebrity behind your brand has a TON of benefits – then again, we always want to look a bit deeper. Do you have any ideas about how to make a brand stand out from the celeb founder? Let us know!
-Kristina A.