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GroupM to scrutinise the celebrity-brand wedlock

Group M has launched CelebZ, a tool that measures the impact of celebrities on the brands they endorse

GroupM has launched a tool that will enable marketers to find the right celebrity for their brands. The tool, which is called CelebZ, can gauge the appeal of a brand ambassador in specific segments. It is expected to bring accountability in the celebrity endorsement space.

CelebZ will operate as a consultancy for Group M clients as well as other marketers. It measures the nature of the relationship that consumers have with a celebrity and derives the mScore, which determines the strength of the brand connect the celebrity has with the target audience.

The first survey of CelebZ sampled 2,800 people across 14 cities in India; the fieldwork was done by IMRB. In all, the tool claims to cover 86 celebrities across fields spanning sports, films, television and 22 product categories, encompassing 140 brands.

The survey, conducted in October 2006, unveiled some of the successful and unsuccessful marriages of brands with celebrities. For instance, it was found that Amitabh Bachchan, who is the brand ambassador of Nerolac, was being perceived as the Asian Paints brand ambassador by a majority of the people, whereas his association with Reid and Taylor rang the right bells.

On the basis of the mScores, celebrities are classified as platinum, gold and silver. CelebZ revealed that the gold and silver categories of celebrities were unexploited and that celebrities who are currently not in the spotlight possess immense star power and image value.

CelebZ will help marketers derive value out of the brand endorser and the brand and will suggest ways to exploit this relationship effectively. For this, they will work closely with the clients and the creative agency.

GroupM to scrutinise the celebrity-brand wedlock
Vikram Sakhuja
Talking about the key differentiator of CelebZ vis-a-vis other similar tools, Vikram Sakhuja, COO, Group M, South Asia, says, “The fusion of data from 3D, our proprietary research, along with CelebZ and the mScores, will provide a wealth of attitudinal, lifestyle and media information.”

The study was done by Group M’s Insights division and will be conducted every six months. CelebZ will be championed by Manish Aggarwal of the Insights division.

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