Everybody Wants a Celebrity Brand. Very Few Become Real Brands

Celebrity brands are everywhere right now. Every week, there’s a new skincare line, makeup launch, wellness drink, or fashion collaboration attached to a famous face. But while some brands like Rhode, Rare Beauty, and Fenty Beauty become genuinely culture-shifting companies, most celebrity brands disappear soon after they launch.In this episode, I explore what actually makes celebrity brands work today. A celebrity name undoubtedly generates first-time purchases. It creates curiosity and gets people talking online. But in today’s world, as consumers are becoming increasingly literate about branding, fame alone is no longer enough. People can now sense when a brand feels culturally embedded versus manufactured, and that shift is reshaping the future of celebrity brands. How can a celebrity brand really, truly gain and sustain cultural relevance?Subscribe for more! New episodes every Thursday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe on Substack for written notes on culture and to get new episodes delivered straight to your inbox.Have ideas, questions, or something you want me to dig into? Send them my way at [email protected] or message me on Substack! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit workingtheorypod.substack.com