Celebrity endorsements for hygiene and personal care brands on a rise – more lifestyle

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought focus on increased precautionary measure to remain safe from the virus, which in turn has also given a boost to awareness of personal hygiene products. And with actors such as Jacqueline Fernandez, Yami Gautam, and Nusrat Jahan and others being roped in as brand ambassadors to reach out to the masses through endorsements, has the ‘health and hygiene’ category become the go-to choice for celebrities?

“The idea is to connect with the consumer on that one big aspect troubling them, because market and communication is about making a connect with the problems of consumers and offering a solution,” says brand strategist Harish Bijoor.

The health and hygiene industry is booming currently and they need more advertisements which can happen with getting celebrities on board feels ad filmmaker Pinaki Bose. He also says, “Other industries are lying low and the big focus is on healthy living, and when it comes to celebrities any category to a mass does make an appeal.”

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Echoing the same thought, brand guru Jagdeep Kapoor too believes that the amount of worry, tension and trauma in the last few months due to Covid-19 pandemic has lead to a boost and boom in health and hygiene products. He states, “A number of new brands have entered the health and personal care sector, and consumers can relate to it and have a recall value quickly only if the brands rope in a celebrity.” However, he also adds that the surge in celebrities endorsing such products could also be, because ‘non-essential market’ closed earlier, and this sector was still up and running, so it was a triple boost — while consumers wanted to boost their immunity, companies wanted to boost their image,and celebrities wanting to boost their income.”

The competition is tough for the existing start ups as apart from the established key players, there are a number of new entrants in the industry tapping on the opportunity. Vikas Bagaria, founder, Pee Safe, who recently got actor Jacqueline Fernandez on board says, “It is a very organic driven sale right now so even you if you don’t sign a celebrity, the product will automatically sell. The real issue is with the huge number of competition coming in, not just from established players but from the unorganised sector mushrooming. If we want to been seen and fight with MNCs to have a mark and presence, a brand like ours need to tie up with a celebrity to show our willingness that we are really concerned.”

Read: Dhoni says no to brand endorsements amid pandemic, keeps busy with organic farming

So, do celebrities play an influencing role towards masses when it comes to ‘personal’ products? Kartik Johari, vice president, Nobel Hygiene says, “Celebrities do play an influential role in the propagation of “personal care” products to the masses. Numerous times, personal care can overlap with societal taboos and unspoken issues. A celebrity’s voice can undoubtedly cut through the clutter and give more resonance to the brand. But the delta on amplification depends on the fit of the celebrity and the brand.” To this, ad filmmaker Sudip Bandyopadhyay adds, “The number of social media followers of a celeb says it all, and that is able to influence billion people.”

However, ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar also warns that the endorser needs to follow the guidelines and be careful with the claims of the product. He also adds that in the past there have been several instances of customers falling prey to it because of the celebrity influence and now legal action could be taken. He says, “If there is a hygiene product, the results ar unknown. Out of 1000 people, 100 can complain and sue the endorser who will be liable to be prosecuted. So it is not only the manufacturer but also the endorser, who needs to be careful. You can’t make a claim until you prove it, so hygiene endorsements are vague unless there are trials.”

Interact with author/sanchita_kalra.