Celebrity partnerships can be powerful brand amplifiers, but how do you measure their true impact? Beyond the buzz, real ROI comes down to strategic alignment, audience engagement, and long-term value. Experts break down the key factors that turn celebrity collaborations into measurable success—no matter the brand or partnership.
Photo: A Weekend in London with David Duchovny Highlights Thom Sweeney's Latest Collection, courtesy Violetta Group
Alice Braccini, CEO & Founder, Violetta Group
“The gravitas of celebrity is a crucial element in a brand's strategy. A starting point is to identify the objectives of the endorsement, such as reaching a specific audience or maximizing exposure at a key moment, as well as the available budget. I believe in long-term partnerships over one-off, transactional endorsements, which can lack authenticity and fail to resonate, not to mention being costly. The ideal scenario is when a partnership grows organically over time, with the talent and brand building a genuine relationship as it just feels right. This collaboration should span various milestones in the brand’s journey and be communicated through multiple channels for maximum impact.
“To measure success, track metrics like social media traffic, new followers, press coverage, PR value, word-of-mouth and, of course, sales spikes! Getting the timing right can also generate further amplification, whether the talent is about to have a very important year with newsworthy projects or if culturally relevant across markets.”
Jenine Leigh-Pollard, Managing Partner, The A List
“Celebrity partnerships are no longer just about brand exposure, but about the ability to showcase integrity with meaningful messaging while connecting to customers authentically. The key to success lies in understanding how these collaborations can entertain while amplifying brand messages, drive customer engagement, and ultimately, deliver measurable ROI.”
Jesse Parker Stowell, Founder, Parker|Phoenix Public Relations
"Celebrity partnerships in brand marketing initiatives can help cut through the clutter of a crowded media landscape, especially with lifestyle press that knows a celebrity name earns clicks. Brands will often garner increased media impressions, due to a celebrity's involvement, and social media reach can be catapulted exponentially, depending on the celebrity's following. The most important thing to consider when collaborating with a celebrity is if there are shared values between the individual and the brand. While their followings don't need to completely overlap, for a partnership to be perceived as organic, their personality, tone and interests must mesh well. The more involved the celebrity is, from product development and design to messaging and strategy, the stronger the partnership and the better received."
Sam Fukushima, Managing Director, Influencer & Celebrity Relations, BPCM
“The measurement of ROI for celebrity partnerships varies significantly based on brand objectives and the unique strengths of the celebrity. However, these partnerships are particularly powerful in driving mass awareness both nationally and globally, sparking industry conversations, and securing high-value media coverage—which can be incredibly difficult to achieve with influencer-level talent. Key data points for evaluating ROI today include awareness and engagement with new demographics (new audience recruitment), brand sentiment shifts, direct sales impact and long-term brand equity growth. A consistent celebrity engagement strategy can also shift brand perception.
“For luxury brands—many of which BPCM represents—it’s important to collaborate with talent who have a genuine affinity for the brand or product. This can often be validated and tested through earned or one-off programming prior to establishing a long-term formal partnership. When a celebrity has a real connection to the brand, it fosters a more collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship, leading to stronger credibility with their audience and a higher ROI for our brand partners.”
Taylor Meckley, Founder, TMpr
“Brands measure ROI through a mix of qualitative and quantitative metrics. Engagement rates, conversion tracking, and direct sales impact are key, but sentiment analysis and brand perception shifts are just as crucial. A strong partnership doesn’t just drive immediate sales—it builds long-term brand equity, which can be assessed through increased social media following, brand mentions, and sustained consumer interest.
“The most successful collaborations are rooted in authenticity. Brands should consider alignment in values, audience overlap, and the celebrity’s engagement quality over sheer follower count. A micro-celebrity with a deeply loyal audience can sometimes drive more meaningful results than a global superstar with lower engagement.
“Pas Une Marque’s Fall 2024 campaign featuring Paris Brosnan exemplifies a strategic and authentic celebrity partnership. Paris, son of actor Pierce Brosnan, embodies the brand’s ethos of defiance and resilience, making him an ideal collaborator for the “Seams of Dissent” collection. The campaign garnered significant media attention, with features in publications like WWD, Hypebeast and Fashion Network. This collaboration not only elevated the brand’s profile but also resonated deeply with its target audience, showcasing the impact of well-aligned celebrity partnerships.”
Morgan Hildebrand, Founder & CEO, Hollywood Media House
“Celebrity partnerships are basically modern-day storytelling, and when they’re done right, they don’t just sell a product, they actually have the ability to shift culture.
“Measuring ROI isn’t only about counting likes anymore. It’s about whether people are actually talking, sharing, and, most importantly, buying. Sure, promo codes and affiliate links track sales, but the real gold is in how a brand’s perception changes. Sentiment analysis, earned media value—these are the things that tell you if a partnership is just a moment or if it’s the moment. George Clooney made Nespresso part of his identity. Rihanna didn’t just sell makeup—she built an empire that forced the beauty industry to change. That’s the difference.
“And picking the right celebrity? It’s not about who’s hot right now—it’s about who makes sense. If the partnership feels forced, people know. The best ones tell a story: Rihanna and Fenty wasn’t just about selling foundation but about rewriting beauty standards. Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is as much about mental health as it is makeup. When the brand and the celebrity actually align, it works. When they don’t, it flops. And of course, brands have to be careful—because one PR disaster can turn a million-dollar campaign into an expensive mistake.
“My most favorite example is: Hailey Bieber and Rhode Skin. Unlike many celebrities, Hailey is not just slapping her name on a product—Rhode is her. It’s her aesthetic, her skincare philosophy, and because of that, it sells out every time. The same goes for Cristiano Ronaldo and Nike, Skims and Kim Kardashian, Lemme and Kourtney Kardashian, etc.—these partnerships work because they feel inevitable. Like, of course they’d be together.
“At the end of the day, the best partnerships are relationships, not just business deals. And the ones that last? They’re the ones that feel real.”
Taylar Barrington-Booker, Founder, Agency Cliquish
“Keke Palmer’s partnership with Creme of Nature is a masterclass in authentic celebrity alignment. She’s proof that celebrity endorsements don’t have to feel forced or overdone—when the connection is real, the impact is undeniable. I’ve enjoyed watching Keke navigate her natural hair journey, embracing and discovering the beauty of her texture while openly sharing the highs and lows of that process. Her evolution—from experimenting with different styles to fully embracing the versatility of her natural hair—mirrors the experience of so many women. That’s what makes her partnership with Creme of Nature, especially as their Chief Brand Officer, so powerful. It’s not just about selling products; it’s about storytelling, representation, and showing that natural hair care is a journey worth celebrating.”
Jaclyn Reilly and Kirsti Yess, Co-Founders, Ethos Group
"Brand partnerships thrive and are a win for all parties when they’re rooted in authenticity, with talent who not only align with the brand’s mission but also inspire and engage its consumers. Our client WNBA All-Star Angel Reese’s long term brand partnership with Reebok was a game-changer for both Angel and the brand. She became Reebok’s first ever major NIL signing in college, and since then allowed the brand to extend the partnership into her WNBA career, connect with young athletes and fans and tap into the growing influence of women’s basketball. The brand has created a truly bespoke partnership and given Angel a platform beyond the court, aligning her with a legacy brand while allowing her to shape its future and inspire the next generation of athletes."
Jen Szpigiel, Founder, Becoming Iconic & Iconic Magazine
“It’s not just about how many people (quantity) you have reached through the visibility and influence of celebrities. It’s the quality of the growth. We know this through social media evidence. It’s not the amount of followers you have that creates success. Many have small audiences with massive success.
“Values, morals and generosity are the most important attributes to partnerships no matter who it is. Having the wrong person align with your brand or company can be extremely detrimental or disappointing. The right person who shares the ethos of your organization, who is generous in their promotion and sincerity is something that can pay off for a very long time. As the editor-in-chief and publisher of Iconic Magazine, we have organically built 100% of our impressions and reach through partnering with incredibly talented and generous leaders who lock arms and share abundantly alongside us. It has never been about building this dream alone. It has been the relationships built and loyalty to the brand that has created such a strong presence.”
