It used to be that companies often hired celebrities and well-known personalities as their spokespeople for public relations, marketing and advertising campaigns.
The thinking was if our product or service was endorsed by a celebrity, then consumers would be convinced they should try it. Today, this high-priced strategy has changed for many companies.
We have noticed this shift over the past several years and have arranged interviews with reporters from national media to niche blogs featuring company founders as the media spokespeople.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal attests to this trend. It highlights founders’ stories in their promotional campaigns “recognizing the appeal of homegrown brands.”
Entrepreneurs are more relatable especially when it comes to sharing their stories of how they built fledging businesses into successful companies. People are more apt to believe what’s said by a company’s founder rather than a paid spokesperson. Therefore, companies have added the role of media spokesperson to a founder’s responsibilities since they realize its importance and business benefits.
When a founder describes how their product or service grew into a successful business after countless hours of trial and error, the story is more likely to resonate. Today, authenticity is in, celebrity pitchmen and pitchwomen are out.
Along with the rise of direct feedback at all hours from the masses to companies on social media, consumers feel like they know the companies they buy from and value transparency.
Founders who offer a peak behind the proverbial curtain via media interviews, online videos, at live events, or in ads, are increasingly the preferable choice to speak for companies both large and small.
So now it’s more about sharing founders’ stories to connect with business and consumer audiences than paying celebrities to do the pitching for them.