Why Every Famous Person Doesn't Need Their Own Brand
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It seems like every celebrity, TikToker, and influencer has their name attached to some sort of product. Whether that is within fashion, beauty, food, or even technology industries, famous people are always attempting to extend their influence beyond their field of expertise into being a CEO. Celebrities are burdened with the unfortunate phenomenon of maintaining their celebrity status for a lifetime, and most have found their reclaim of fame within the business world. This is generally done in a last-ditch effort to further capitalize on their fame and create new streams of revenue. But in a new generation that values authenticity, the half-hearted celebrity brand is the last thing we want.
Venture capital advisor and TikTok influencer, Maggie Sellers, delves deeper into this subject as a featured guest on the WorkParty podcast. In this episode, she highlights the “unglamorous realities of launching a brand - and why it’s not for everyone.” She refers to the celebrity-to-brand pipeline as the “celebrity brand accelerator,” where celebrities on TikTok, who solely deal with a “personality-driven platform,” transition into roles as CEOs for companies without a full grasp of the intricacies involved. This acceleration from creating content to “direct to consumer” operations and logistics is not sustainable in the long term for brands. Maggie expresses her concern of the potential scenario where numerous celebrity brands gain initial popularity through social media marketing, but eventually struggle on the business front as time goes on. Unless these brands are being prioritized by their creators to the fullest, they are at risk of failing. Maggie ends her discussion by raising the important question of our planet's growing consumption and wonders how influencers can sustain their fame through alternative means. One alternative she explores is the idea of celebrities engaging in brand partnerships and equity deals with already established companies in order to perpetuate fame and revenue.
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A similar podcast, Limited Supply, explores the same concept by examining the success story of Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty. Unlike some beauty brands that simply slap a celebrity's face on their products, Limited Supply highlights the unique approach taken by Rare Beauty. The podcast emphasizes that Rare Beauty didn't set out with the sole intention of launching a beauty brand and “throwing Selena on as the face”, but rather her hard work to create a brand that embodied a lot of the mental health issues that were not expressed in the modern beauty Hollywood industry. Although from the outside it may seem like any other makeup company, Rare Beauty has become so impactful because it is not just “Selena Gomez’s brand”, but a company that has intricate merchandising development and marketing strategies that set it apart from the others. Rare Beauty dedicated time and research to creating packaging that is accessible to people with disabilities, demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity and thoughtful design. In addition, Limited Supply explores how Rare Beauty has crafted a brand image so strong that Selena Gomez and her brand can independently succeed. This is a notable achievement, as many celebrity-driven brands fail to establish this level of separation.
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With over 7 billion views, the hashtag “RareBeauty” on TikTok includes millions of fans posting their raw reactions to products and reiterating Rare Beauty’s dedication to their product quality and “fan love.” The podcast owes this positive reaction to what they call “the come sit with our approach”. Despite being associated with the renowned Selena Gomez, the company strives to make its products as accessible as possible, inviting people to try them and become part of the Rare Beauty community.
Not every celebrity needs their own brand, with the exception of stars who are willing to put blood, sweat, and tears into unique products and ideas that change industries. Creating a successful brand goes beyond attaching a famous name to it. It demands a large commitment to crafting something truly unique.
Strike Out,
Writer: Sophia Yunaev
Editor: Blake N. Fiadino
Tallahassee