Branding Through Celebrities with TEARS

The McKinsey Global Institute, in its latest report, says that India's consumption share of GDP at 62% is closer to Japan & USA than to China. The Indian aggregate consumption will grow to Rs.70 trillion by 2025. While the numbers indicate the growth potential, a more relevant challenge for marketers is to identify the underlying drivers of consumption. The basic purpose of a brand is to identify a product, to establish its legitimacy and reliability. Brands also age like people, and therefore, have to be rejuvenated continuously. All businesses aspire to build brands but vary few succeed to achieve an iconic status. Contrary to popular perception, iconicity doesn't happen by chance. It has to be carefully planned and executed.Surrounded by close substitutes, great need for differentiation, or quick entry into a short life cycle category, celebrity endorsement provides a brand a touch of that intended personality, appeal, name and recognition. Selecting a celebrity is a subjective and sometimes a lengthy process. The familiar principle for evaluating the feasibility of endorsing a celebrity is FRED. Shimp suggested an innovative approach for the same purpose, in terms of TEARS - Trustworthiness, Expertise, Attractiveness, Respect and Similarity. Brand building through celebrities for specific cultures can be done by following the innovative TEARS approach for no tears of marketers