Final answer:
Celebrity influencers, such as Kelly Rowland and Angela Simmons, have been a key focus of the marketing industry when it comes to endorsements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question revolves around the role of celebrity influencers like Kelly Rowland and Angela Simmons in marketing, focusing on the trend of brands using popular students as on-campus brand ambassadors similar to celebrity endorsements. These influencers and celebrity endorsements are built on the same philosophy employed when companies hire college students to be their on-campus brand ambassadors.
Companies often target popular students engaged in high-profile activities like sports, fraternities, and music, betting that endorsements from such individuals will influence purchasing decisions among their peers.
Brand ambassadorship is an effective marketing tool that has seen companies recruiting college students as brand evangelists to promote their products. This practice is founded on the belief that students are more likely to trust and be influenced by their peers. An example of this type of marketing can be seen in the cases where tens of thousands of student brand ambassadors work on college campuses, and research has shown that ambassador-referred customers provide a significant 16 percent higher value to companies than other customers.
Furthermore, questions have arisen concerning the ethics of these endorsements, especially with regards to disclosure. Online, it may be easier for influencers to disclose their financial relationships with brands, while face-to-face interactions do not always provide the same level of transparency.
Nonetheless, the approach of using popular personalities within a community, such as a college campus, reflects an understanding of the pivotal role social influence and interpersonal communication play in the consumer's decision-making process.