The recent influx of celeb-led brands

The trend of ‘celebrity-led brands’ is a natural means of a progression of fame for celebrities – especially in the 21st century. Sure, celebrity endorsements have been around for a while but now there’s a dramatic change of approach; what’s changing now is how money is made and who’s making it. It might appear complex, although it is quite simple, let us break it down for you, people idolize celebrities-we want to be like them, or just to bask in their presence. Celebrities know this, and market to it (like crazy!).

It appears it’s not enough to be an actor, musician, or reality TV star nowadays — you’ve got to have your own brand to go with it. In case you didn’t notice, for the past few years there has been an unprecedented rise in makeup, skin-care, and hair-care companies founded or endorsed by famous folks in our country. Though they have recently woke up to their potential as brand custodians and not just mere brand ambassadors, still the numbers of celebrity-owned brands are swiftly growing. It started with anchorperson Waseem Badami launching his herbal skincare brand, followed by Komal Rizvi and others. Their most powerful tool? The ability to speak directly to their target audience in a personal way.  Direct communication encourages a sense of loyalty not commonly seen in traditional retail. In modern times, a consumer needs more than just a celebrities’ face attached to a label, they need authenticity, a story, and a personal connection. They look for a bridge that scrubs away the gap between a celebrity and a local buyer, which is ‘trust.

Ask yourself, wouldn’t you be more inclined to buy from a label that has ties with a notable figure that you follow religiously on social media? For some hardcore fans, that’s the only way of forming a connection with a person they admire. To name a few, fashionistas like Maya Ali, Areeba Habib, Urwa Hocane, Marwa Hocane, and more recently Sadaf Kanwal started their own clothing lines while Komal Rizvi owns Pakistan’s first safe skincare company. While all of these stars would label their businesses as ‘side hustle’, in reality, these thriving ventures are just another means of cashing on the relatability factor so their futures can be secured. As a matter of fact, they do make more money from these businesses than they do in their acting, singing, or sports careers. However, you will notice that most of these ventures are more fashion or beauty-centered and could use some diversity in terms of branding, and execution (in some recent cases, original ideas!).

Most of the beauty products launched are following the run-of-the-mill ideas although the only thing that makes them stand out is the factor of trust and authenticity which comes with the celebs face, unlike other local brands. In conclusion, as active and noisy as your social media presence might be, in the end, nothing talks like results. Yes, our stars wield great influence over their following, but they need to step up their game if they want to convince consumers to buy their products.