10 Celebrities that endorse B2B companies
Do you have favorite celebrities? Have you bought anything that they endorsed? I still remember when Fenty Beauty launched its first product in Sephora; each of my friends bought a lipstick that Rihanna used in the poster. Rihanna’s success in the beauty industry shows the significant commercial value that every superstar has. As social media becomes an unseparated part of our life, the lines between influencers and celebrities are blurred. As a result, online influencers gradually become strategic partners of modern businesses.
B2B is short for “business to business.” Companies create products and services for other businesses and organizations in this business model. B2B companies can include software as a service (SaaS), marketing firms, and businesses that create and sell various supplies. No matter your business’s size, you’ll need to purchase products or services from B2B companies at some point.
As you may ask, typically, celebrity endorsement is deeply embedded in B2C marketing, but why do B2B companies need it? The fact is that subject matter experts have a near-celebrity status for their position or knowledge in their areas. Thus, they live as an influential thought leader in many business circles. In addition, their endorsements indicate a solid specialty to the target customers.
If you still have doubts, let’s look at ten celebrities who successfully endorse B2B companies.
Serena Williams
In a video released by IBM in 2016, tennis champion Serena Williams with IBM Watson, a question-answering program. The computer tells Williams that it analyzes her biggest matches and can create training programs customized to her playing style. Williams says she’s impressed, though not quite impressed enough to consider Watson the Serena Williams of cloud-based cognitive systems.
Billie Eilish
A Google spokesperson said: “Some advertisers use celebrity endorsement in their ads. This test extends the option of celebrity endorsement to online campaigns.” Building on that call to action, Adobe encourages people to post their creations to social media channels with the hashtag #BillieXAdobe. As a rising star in the music industry, Billie is famous for her unique tone and talents. Every action of hers attracts young people on social media.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is a four-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Super Bowl MVP. His fame and position are undoubted. Based on that, Intel Corporation initiated an innovative marketing campaign, including a commercial airing for the first time during Super Bowl. The 30-second ad, “Brady Everyday,” showcases how Intel’s 360 replay technology transforms the sports viewing experience. It depicts how Brady’s tedious morning routine is transformed into highlight-worthy moments.
AI Horford
When Intel was launching its new virtual reality capabilities with the NBA, Horford played a role as one of the tech company’s partners. The partnership included social media posts in 2017.
Mariah Carey
In 2006, an ad for Mariah Carey played on CBS during the Grammy Awards. Featuring Mariah, the ad (part of the “laps” campaign) focuses on how music lovers can enjoy her music anywhere, without wires.
Maia Shibutani
As one of Intel’s 2018 Winter Olympic athletes, Maia was one of the stars was skating alongside her brother Alex. The pair announced a partnership with Intel in January 2018.
Virat Kohli
One of the world’s most famous athletes is one of Google’s partners. Kohli has been featured with his wife along his side in Google Duo commercials. But as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, he collaborated with Google India and took part in a unique virtual meet and greet with students in the summer of 2020.
LeBron James
In a recent partnership, LeBron James has joined Microsoft and Warner Brothers to create new coding education opportunities themed around the upcoming movie Space Jam: A New Legacy. James plays a central role in the movie, and the hope of this program is for budding coders to have new opportunities through workshops and contests.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Smith-Schuster has teamed with Microsoft since 2019, including on the Microsoft Surface and Microsoft Bing. The JuJu Foundation also partnered with Microsoft Bing in the Fall of 2020.
Coco Gauff
Gauff is a rising star in the tennis world, and Microsoft has already featured her, focused on her love of data and analytics to help her train.
From the list above, we can see that most B2B technology companies would invite athletes to endorse their brands, and the ad is usually based on storytelling. This is because celebrities in the sports industry are sending the message of being a winner, a trustworthy figure who has a strong sport spirit. These features match well with the technology industry. In addition, endorsement with superstars in the music industry means that companies pay attention to the celebrity effect. Thus, if you have a B2B company, take advantage of the opportunity to work with influencers.
By Ziyi Long
