Making Of The Merch-Verse
We are living in times when unconventional is the norm. It holds true in each and every aspect of our lives. A decade ago, no one would believe that a content creator on digital platforms could also be the proud owner of their own merchandising brand. And if you thought it was only the B-town superstars, sports stars who’ve come out with their own line of clothing, shoes, food brands, etc, you are in for a surprise!
Today, everyone has the potential and the resources to jump on the celebrity merchandising bandwagon. Every social media user is now the face and the brand themselves.
What we see today are influencers from all walks of life personalising items and aspects of their lives - that are relatable, aspirational, and attainable - for consumption, and monetisation. To put it simply, quoting from a viral reel song, ‘everything is content' - and as long as you have an audience, you have a potential customer. But, what does this mean for the Marketing, and at large, the entertainment industry?
Celeb Merchandising Entering A New Era
Like they say - Rome wasn’t built in a day. And nor were these celeb-led brands.
Celebrities, over time, realised that having their own personal merchandise is a potential avenue to monetise their value, arising from their personality, through their fan following.
Add to that, they’ve become more woke and aware of their rights. They now have complete control over the tonality, target audience and every intellectual property that combines to create that grand, personalised impact. The present-day scenario is such that nobody can monetise through them without their authorisation. Take for example, Hrithik Roshan, the bollywood superstar who is also known for his fitness and is identified through it, is passionately involved in the concept, design, and the end-product of his athleisure wear brand.
These celebrities are tasting success with their strategies and product mix prompting their followers to participate in every trend, line or collaboration they come out with. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as these brands have not only sustained but also flourished.
Be it, actors, athletes, singers, influencers, etc, each one of them is now building a robust, unapologetic brand around themselves, and every business they have forayed into. These celebrity brands and their merchandise have now become an integral part of the lifestyle. Beauty and fashion are the top sellers as these household names have earned praise in their respective industries.
What Is Happening In India?
Celebrity endorsements have become a winning formula for all marketers today. They can be seen in almost all television advertisements. As a result, when they appear in an advertisement promoting a product, they help in building a better brand image, spreading awareness, connecting consumers emotionally, creating unique identities, and ultimately increasing product consumption.
While they have always spearheaded the sales of products and services in India, the past few years have seen countless celebrities from the world of Bollywood, cricket amongst others, transform themselves
from just being the face or voice of brands to owners and co-owners of retail brands and online-only labels across price points.
With such increased confidence in celebrity endorsers, it was only logical for these big names to cash in on their growing popularity and give consumers a relatability factor in the merchandise that they purchase.
They have left no stone unturned towards making the world of merchandising more accessible and far-reaching to people across the country. Resonating highly with the mood and sentiment of the youth, our launch of the Alan Walker collection, gave fans the chance to shop from the Melting Rose Collection of the famous Norwegian DJ at affordable prices.
The Rise Of Social-First Merchandising Brands
Leveraging the technology that is being used today, influencers, and content creators are opening a parallel stream of revenue built on top of their social media popularity.
The buzz started with creators releasing content that resonates with the principle of their target audience, thus bagging huge popularity and fan following in a short period of time. This smoothened their ways to use the D2C, or direct-to-consumer models.
Today, there are dedicated merchandising brands headed by these content creators who ‘started from the bottom'. That has been possible, thanks to affordable internet and huge fan following on social media. The equation is simple; addictive content makes a celebrity out of any person, who can start their own merchandising brand. Similarly, the status of a celebrity reflects on what’s being sold, thereby helping the consumer cut through the clutter while choosing their favourite merch.
The Future Of Merchandising Is In Celeb Reputation
The consumer of today expects a level of trust and authenticity from celebrity-led merchandising. Enjoying immense mass appeal and fan following, their names are synonymous with their illustrious background. This legacy allows them to leverage their goodwill and create a business model or product line. Along with them being role models, their advice, tips, recommendations, etc., with regards to their brand has helped one and all. Banking on their names, these influencers have been able to add a personal touch and insight through such interactions. This has fostered a relationship built on trust, between themselves and their consumers, that is only going to gain steam in the long run.
What Is In For The Fan?
Celebrity merchandising provides the cornerstone of services to help support an important element of showbiz - the fan.
Be it personality merchandising or image merchandising, buying their products makes us feel connected, and associated with them. For example, we unveiled the official merch range for 'Thor - Love and Thunder' and presented an exciting range in multiple categories and design options.
As far as the pricing goes, celebrity products and merchandise are allowed the comfort of a premium pricing strategy. Consumers consider a product to be of high quality if a star believes in it. Celeb
merchandise reflects style, charisma, and ambition, amongst other attributes, urging the consumer to have it all. It is this dream and imagery that they’re paying extra for.
The Merch-Verse In Making
Be it their larger-than-life persona, go-getter attitude, and lifestyle filled with glitz and glam, we are trying to imbibe all attractive qualities of the celeb by investing in the kind of merchandise we love. On that note, love for a celebrity and interest in their merchandising starts from school.
What the future hold as far as the future of retail is concerned is to be decided, but one thing can be said for sure. These celebs-turned-entrepreneurs are changing the game by perfecting how to reach and serve their audiences. Our favourite celebrities have been understanding consumer behaviour and utilising that knowledge to engage fans for long. Don’t believe us? Just ask the content creator on YouTube who’s the talk of the town B-town superstar and setting one fashion statement after another.
The merchandising masterstroke has only just begun.
*The author is Binal S, Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer, Macmerise Celfie Design
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