BRAND AMBASSADORs
A brand ambassador means…
Someone who can clearly reflect a brands consumer ethos and also helps to enhance the brand’s attributes among it’s consumers, both existing and potential. Being capable of building goodwill & trust for the brand is a key expectation. Instances where the brand ambassador is representing a nation or a state then it is imperative that the person mirrors the nation’s values and be widely recognized for their substantive contributions.
Who fits the role…
An individual who can help in creating “buzz around the brand” and drive targeted audiences and skeptics to use and appreciate the product for more than what it is. A known personality, who need not necessarily be a celebrity, but who the audience can identify as a fit with the brand. An individual who embodies, if not all, at least the key attributes of the brand/product being endorsed.
Past brand ambassadors…
Some great campaigns come to mind – Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachhan for Motorola and Sushmita Sen for Olay, in shores abroad Tiger Woods for Accenture instantly comes to mind. These just a few of some great choices these as in these cases the brand complements personality traits – almost synchronous. That’s real image management.
Brand ambassador misfires…
Sometimes brand and image managers take shortsighted decisions in the selection of brand ambassadors, which inadvertently hurt the brand instead. In such instances the ‘ambassador’ gets no kudos either. For example, in Southern India, a leading actor has been roped in as the brand ambassador of a popular beer brand and, behold, a milk brand as well! Can’t they see the conflict?
Recently the managers of India’s national tourism campaign, Incredible India, announced highly acclaimed Bollywood actor and film producer Aamri Khan as brand ambassador.
Good brand marriage…
Yes. Aamir is a mature, multi dimensional personality with values and an aura of mystic around him. He is clearly capable of representing India’s diversity because he too is in permanent evolution – we are like that only! Na?
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Dilip Cherian interviewed by DNA (Daily News & Analysis), a predominantly youth targeted publication that chronicles news and happenings in Mumbai.
References:
Pandey, V. (2008) 'Aamir Khan is face of Indian tourism' Daily News & Analysis, August 20th.
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