[superflux]

Paul Jones, Forbes Staff

12/02/2010 @ 6:00PM
The Phones Celebrities Love Most
Being a celebrity comes with a lot of perks: entrance into the swankiest clubs and parties, an attentive entourage, plenty of adoring fans�and often, a free smartphone from the manufacturer.

Samsung understands the value of high-profile customers. �We recognize that celebrities are influencers, and the best way to endear them to our products is to get the product into their hands to try for themselves,� says spokeswoman Ashley Lane. �From that point on the buzz build becomes organic through press and word of mouth.�

If it�s hard to believe people follow pop singers and reality TV stars enough to care about what phones they use, simply scan the Web to find a slew of sites partially or wholly devoted to tracking exactly that, from CelebrityBlackberrySightings.com to GeekSugar.com. These sites and others are full of photos of Lindsey Lohan, Justin Bieber or Rihanna toting a BlackBerry, iPhone or Android device.

In Pictures: The Phones Celebrities Love Most

Celebrity handlers are often mum about the exact phones their clients use, but Kristy Korcz of GeekSugar.com says some celebs were easier to guess than others. For example, troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan is known to use a red painted or cased BlackBerry Curve. Lohan has been spotted using the device on multiple occasions; according to EvilBeetGossip.com, she�s actually being treated for BlackBerry/Twitter �addiction� along with treatment for drugs and alcohol. Meanwhile, Paris Hilton has been recently spotted using a purple �WhiteBerry� Bold 9000, and Kim Kardashian uses a White BlackBerry Bold 9780.

But other celebrities don�t flash their phones around quite as much. Despite starring in the hit music video �Telephone,� Lady Gaga�s mobile device�possibly a BlackBerry Curve�is harder to guess. The singer has also been seen with an iPhone.

The same is true of pop singer Taylor Swift. She has tweeted from an iPhone but has been seen toting a BlackBerry device, possibly a Tour, as well.

In fact, keeping fans guessing seems to generate even more interest in the phones celebrities use, as readers post comments on sites to try to identify the devices. Forbes found that celebrities were spotted more often with BlackBerrys than other smartphones.

The practice of giving free phones to celebrities in the hopes they will use it is known as �seeding.� While paid celebrity endorsements are a better known promotional method, Lane says consumers are savvy and want to buy products that their celebrity idols genuinely like using. �[Consumers] know when an endorsement is contrived or forced,� she says. �We try to make brand advocates of celebrities through strategic seeding vs. utilizing them as spokespeople.�

Seeding doesn�t replace traditional advertising so much as compliment it. Samsung, for instance, views celebrity seeding as a buzz-building program that supplements advertising.

Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer at Motorola , says getting a celebrity to use a product in a live performance is another seeding method. For instance, Motorola partnered with Jesse McCartney to integrate the Flipout phone in his latest music video for his song �Shake,� Ogle says.

Motorola also managed to place the Droid X in several popular TV shows, including Castle, Glee, The Glades and How I Met Your Mother. That strategy often resulted in the devices finding their way into stars� personal lives as well. �A perfect example is John Stamos on Glee,� Ogle says. �His character used a DROID X on the show, and he requested to keep it for his own personal use.�

Seeding can also become the gift that keeps on giving. Ogle says some celebrities use their seeded phone to tweet about how much they like it to their fans. In effect, the device becomes an advertising tool. Such self-perpetuating promotion is the whole point of the practice, and a marketer�s dream.

[superflux]

Granted the article was written in 2010, I wonder how many celebs are loyal to the brand.

[TheScionicMan]

This picture was supposedly taken this week. Please don't hire her as a spokesperson but somebody send her a Q10 immediately!

Attachment 238404

Kanye West under investigation for allegedly punching teenager who hurled racist remarks at Kim Kardashian* - NY Daily News

[calicocat2010]

Ok I posted a thread today, "Spotted Z30 from a Celeb's FaceBook" (I think that's what I called it) but it was like invalid or something, but anyways...I was TOO excited to put a better subject than SPOTTED Z30 from a Celeb's FaceBook. I should had been more clear: A Celebrity was spotted with a new Z30.

People post threads about celebs sporting a new BlackBerry and so I should had told the mods to redirect My thread to a thread with celeb spotting. It would had taken a long time to find that in the CB app as I don't use the navigation that much on that app.


Here is music artist and actress, Demi Lovato's official facebook. See she's holding a Z30 -- https://www.facebook.com/DemiLovato

[donmateo]

I see her holding an iPhone, that's it.

[cjcampbell]

Ok I posted a thread today, "Spotted Z30 from a Celeb's FaceBook" (I think that's what I called it) but it was like invalid or something, but anyways...I was TOO excited to put a better subject than SPOTTED Z30 from a Celeb's FaceBook. I should had been more clear: A Celebrity was spotted with a new Z30.

People post threads about celebs sporting a new BlackBerry and so I should had told the mods to redirect My thread to a thread with celeb spotting. It would had taken a long time to find that in the CB app as I don't use the navigation that much on that app.


Here is music artist and actress, Demi Lovato's official facebook. See she's holding a Z30 -- https://www.facebook.com/DemiLovato

That's not a Z30. It looks more like an iPhone.

[eldricho]

Yep, that's an iPhone I see

Posted via CB10

[calicocat2010]

That's not a Z30. It looks more like an iPhone.

HOW can it be an Iphone when Iphones have a HOME button?
This phone does Not have a home button.

Look at the size, width, height, bezel, edges, NO button on the front.
Iphone does Not have a LED indicator sensor.

This phone does.

[eldricho]

Look at the picture again
I see the back of an iPhone which she is using to take a picture in a mirror

Posted via CB10

[calicocat2010]

Look at the picture again
I see the back of an iPhone which she is using to take a picture in a mirror

Posted via CB10

It looked like a smudge spot to me when I saw it on my Feeds. I see the silver top now. I don't know what the back of an Apple phone looks like because I don't pay attention to the back. I will admit I did Have one for 24 hours but it was the Iphone 5. Totally different back to it.

Looked like a Z30 from a far though. My bad.

D**n!

[vaely]

Now BlackBerry is for norml users
It was because of bbm and ssequirty
i think celeb are foolish now haah

Posted via CB10

[eldricho]

No worries man, we all would have loved to see a Z30 in her hand :P

Posted via CB10