“The Business Resource For Wedding Entrepreneurs”

WHAT IS ENDORSEMENT?

In the scope of business, endorsement is a form of marketing strategy that engages public figures to promote a product or service on social media to attract public interest. This type of promotion can be an effective way to increase sales because the majority of the audience has recently been using social media a lot as their source of lifestyle. The level of digital endorsement's effectiveness is also much better than some conventional options, such as publishing advertisements in printed or electronic media, brochures, or leaflets.

A celebrity-endorser plays a role in promoting products or deliver messages in an advertisement in order to attract consumer's interest. A celebrity appearance can create a big impact to audience's buying decisions. If you want to endorse a public figure, don't forget to check their credibility, attractiveness, and compatibility with your brand.

In the wedding industry, endorsement is usually done when one or a couple of public figures hold several phases of a wedding ceremony, such as engagement, recitation, holy matrimony, and wedding reception. There is no limit to what categories of vendors can be endorsed. Wedding organizers, wedding venues, photography, wedding dresses and attire, invitations, and bridal make-up have a big chance to take parts in endorsement.

THE BENEFIT OF PUBLIC FIGURE ENDORSEMENT

Foto oleh Pyara.

Endorsement is mutually beneficial for both of your business and the public figure. Then, what are the benefits for your business?

1. CREATE BRAND AWARENESS

One of the ways to create brand awareness is by collaborating with well-known celebrities. The better the engagement of the artist's endorsement in a brand, the higher the attractiveness and the level of public awareness of the brand.

2. INCREASE SALES

Indirectly, the endorsement might increase sales significantly. Creative promotions will attract endorser's followers to find out further about your brand. Moreover, most of them will immediately order products promoted by their favorite influencers, so that they can also have a similar experience as their idols when using the product. Especially if the endorser has a fairly large number of followers, of course this will benefit you.

3. AN EFFECTIVE PROMOTION

Choose a public figure or influencer who has a big influence on your target audience. For the wedding business, look for influencers who are planning a wedding. How to get the information? Commonly, public figures share their engagement moment to the followers. This is the right time to contact them and offer your service through an endorsement. If the wedding was a big success, more and more future brides will look to your services.

4. ENHANCe your CREDIBILITY

If you did a successful collaboration with an influential person, your product or service's credibility will also be increasingly recognized and trusted by the public. Moreover, there is a chance that your business will become a hot topic among the public, which will contribute a promising awareness to your brand. Don't forget to continue innovating, so that the character of your products and services are maintained.

RATE CARD OF PUBLIC FIGURE AND INFLUENCER

A rate card is a list of price rates set either by personal or a company for commercial collaboration needs. However, it is not only about the price, there is also information about policies and regulations that may apply. If you want to collaborate with public figures, such as social media influencers, actresses, or singers, don't forget to find out first how much the price range in the market is. Does it fit your budget? Or, it is more than you can afford?

Every influencer has their own rate card, depending on how much engagement and the number of followers they have. Rate card is crucial for an influencer because it is an important agreement document for both parties. To make a considerable decision, initially keep eyes on the performance of the influencers you are targeting.

There are times when public figures do not set a rate card, but are willing to collaborate on a half or full barter collaboration. Barter collaboration means that they will promote your product or service on their social media accounts, and in return, you provide the product or service for free. Semi-bartering also applied similarly, but there is still a fee to be paid to influencers, but at a lower price.

Things to consider in ENDORSEMENT

Illya Ayustina, Partnership Manager of Bridestory, invites you to identify several important factors to consider if you are willing to accept or reject public figure endorsements.

1. SINCERELY LOOKing FOR SUPPORT

When a public figure asks to be an endorser, one of the good things is their sincere intention that they are really looking for support from your business. If they have insisted on what they should receive in return from the start, it certainly seems very selfish. When a public figure invites you to discuss the support they need and asks for your consideration as a vendor, then that sincerity can be a green light for your business.

2. To eXPLORe VARIOUS WAYS OF PARTNERSHIP

There are many ways to do a partnership that can be done by both sides: the public figures and the vendors. When a public figure welcomes you to explore and negotiate the types of partnerships he/she can have with you, this is a very good sign. It means that you can suggest partnership options, such as full barter or semi-barter collaboration, as it can sometimes be tough for a vendor to provide a product or service completely free of charge.

3. NOT being too demanding

Not only once a public figure asks an endorsement that is impossible to do and forces the vendors. For example, if they want an incidental endorsement where you have to bear a high cost, do not hesitate to reject the offer. In addition to the benefits that are not comparable, there is a possibility you will not feel happy working on the collaboration and, worst, you will not be paid even though the cost is high.

4. CLEAR beneficial outputs

If you want to do an endorsement with public figures, always make sure that there is a clear beneficial outputs for both parties. If the requested endorsement does not have clear reciprocity to you, then you should refuse the offer. Remember to make a clear MoU or contract regarding the endorsement process and the benefits that you and the public figure will get at the end of the project.