ESTIMATED READING TIME: 3 MINUTES

File this under "Good to Know," Duane Reade is the living lesson that tweeting celebrity names could spell trouble. Katherine Heigl served the drugstore a $6 million lawsuit for endorsement charges related to a tweet of her shopping at their store. Did you know that you could get in big trouble (and owe some major bucks) if you tweeted an unsolicited endorsement? Here is why:

Was Duane Reade in the wrong?

Well, two social media posts later is appears that they could be in some seriously hot water. The legality of what went down is debatable, but know that brands do not have the same creative license that media outlets are privy to. It was a papparazzi photo taken in public, so does that make it okay? Well the temporary burst of brand clout that comes from a celebrity endorsement means there is the potential for some money to exchange hands.

Is the celebrity endorsement worth it?

Duane Reade may have just been lazy on the social media sell that dayand repurposed a photo that prompted their google alert to go off, but is it even worth it to seek the celebrity stamp of approval?It has been said that the average Joe review goes a long way in enhancing a brand. In fact, HubSpot recently included some stats from the Harvard Business Review on their blog that noted a company can see an up to 50% increase in sales thanks to the testimonials utilitize in their digital presence. Over time these testimonials and endorsements by end users are actually substantially more effective.

So where does that leave you?

Our best advice is to be more invested in keeping the people that use your products and/or services happy, than you are in getting those products into the hands of the rich and famous, or even locally influential. The truth of marketing is that we have become very aware of the bullshit that abounds, and in order to keep our readers/listeners engaged we have to be straight up, honest, and ultimately a valuable resource for the people that we are lucky to have interested in us. 

The real people will get you further, so give them some love. Click below for our social media e-book that will have you communicating with your people like a champ in no time!