The car industry has always been riddled with different types of celebrities through the decades. Every hotshot star in Hollywood is almost always identified with the car he drives and the cars he collects. Remember OJ Simpson? Even celebrities and their horrendous stories revolving around their own vehicles have defined the way people look at automobiles. When the OJ Simpson car chase happened, Ford Bronco sales have boosted to a whopping plus 7000 (seven thousand) cars the following year, from an average of 30,000 (thirty thousand) per year. Considering that in 1994, the Broncos were due for phasing out, it still saw an uptick in sales because of the car chase.
Infamous moments surrounding vehicles have always dictated the purchasing trends of consumers. Even celebrity deaths have a long-lasting impact on sales. President John F. Kennedy’s Lincoln Continental car sold at $375,000 (three hundred seventy-five thousand U.S. Dollars) at an auction late last year. Paul Walker’s Porsche sports car was forever immortalized as a warning for potential speed daredevils. Princess Diana’s Mercedes-Benz car is forever remembered as the car which cost the life of a dear Princess.
There is no denying that vehicles are heavily defined by the people who drive them. Certain personalities fit a particular car persona. Cars are named after certain types of people (sports car, utility vehicle, family car, etc.) Shows even pit certain cars against each other. How are celebrities and modern-day influencers sculpting the automotive industry as we know it?
Influencers Have a Captured Market
Influencers, whether they are celebrities or not, have an automatically captured market. They can back millions of followers with a single post. Celebrities use their followers as a bargaining chip when negotiating their talent fees. Because of the trust people give them, they can dictate what they want. With a single post of a celebrity, their message can reach millions of followers almost instantly because of mobile phones and social media.
Sometimes, the cost of posting just a single post can go up to millions of dollars per. It is also the reason why influencers consider it charity if they post about a cause for free. Interest regarding vehicles is spiked when an influencer posts about it. Curiosity is even more piqued if the car is not the center of the post.
Influencers Are Sly
Influencers have mastered the art of advertising without actual advertising. The cost of having an influencer disguise your advertisement as a simple post is higher when compared to posting about the product. According to studies, people have become immune to direct advertising in general. A lot also view it as something of annoyance whenever they see an advertisement.
A direct post advertising a product would get significantly less feedback as compared to a blended or hybrid advertisement post. Cars are difficult to market as it is. Piercing the veil of curiosity with the right amount of interest-generating elements can hit the right spot with influencers.
Influencers Are Casual
Influencers are as casual as you can get. There is a high chance that most of the influencers cannot even drive a car yet. The sub-industries of automobiles are also given fuel by most of these influencers. Whenever a high profiler details their vehicle, whether they spend a day for a clear film to be professionally-installed or drives it upstate, millions and millions of followers still watch it no matter how mundane the activity is.
Influencers have power because they are relatable (even though they are not). They seem to be more accessible to the general public. Similar to car brands, the choice of who they designate as their flagship influencer will be necessary.
Influencers Are Cheap
Influencers are powerful because their services are cheaper and cost-effective. At the same time, some posts may indeed cost a lot, especially if the product they are endorsing is expensive as hell. Influencers and their endorsements come with many different perks that make it cost-effective. The post has permanence as it stays in their profile for a long time.
The post also has a guaranteed captured reach. An influencer also has a guaranteed market, depending on their status. Automobile manufacturers are often targeting father figures and the like to slyly advertise their car. They are guaranteed positive feedback if a good father figure promotes a vehicle.
Influencers are made powerful by social media and their status. Admittedly, it has become their way of income. Thankfully, the automobile industry has learned to adapt and accept that influencers are the way to go. Innovation is easy through social media because almost everything is allowed. Lifestyles are practically always associated with certain personalities – that is why picking the right candidate for automobile brands to ride on is more effortless.
