Celebrity partnerships have existed for decades, and for good reason. According to a study featured in Social Psychological and Personality Science, celebrity endorsements can lead to an increase in a product's sales by up to 4% immediately upon the commencement of the marketing campaign.1 Another study by Ad Age showed that celebrity endorsements led to a 9.4% increase in sales over identical ads featuring non-famous actors, and 12.6% greater effectiveness in brand communication.2
The Allied Way
The most impactful celebrity partnerships stand out in two ways:
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A shared message, value, or purpose;
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Extensions into experiential, digital/social campaigns, and co-promotional elements.
Partnerships In Practice
In September, we brokered a deal between two of our clients — renowned celebrity chef Masaharu Morimoto and premium cruise line Holland America — which achieves both.
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Holland America launched Global Fresh Fish, a new initiative around sourcing fresh fish and bringing them from "port to plate" in 48 hours, as a unique differentiator from their competitors.
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They are launching the initiative via a partnership with Iron Chef Morimoto, known for his unique presentation and Japanese fusion cuisine, which frequently involves fresh seafood. Holland named Morimoto its "Fresh Fish Ambassador".
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The collaboration speaks to their shared appreciation for fresh-sourced ingredients, global cuisine, and high-end experiences. Beyond onboard recipes, the partnership will extend into other phases, such as a pop-up restaurant ("Morimoto by Sea"), excursions, and future offboard marketing to be announced.
From the announcement alone, Holland has seen outstanding press coverage including Food & Wine, Travel Weekly, and Forbes, with millions of impressions, with much more to come.
1 + 1 = 3
We're uniquely positioned to execute these kinds of 360-degree activations across our integrated services, leveraging the expertise of our Earned Media team, including Partnerships and Publicity. Our extensive roster lets us proactively identify and connect compatible clients to generate unique opportunities and drive increased campaign success.
Want to find out more about the kinds of matches we can make for you? Get in touch.
1 T. Shu, T. M. Burtch, Can Seeing the Facebook logo make you Crave for Social Media? A Study on Environmental cues and Social Media Addiction Symptoms, Social Psychological & Personality Science, 2019)
2 Ad Age, Are celebrities worth the investment? Advertisers think so, 2020
