By Arun Fernandes
In the past, brand ambassadors were used for advertising purposes by brands to publicize the brand and the product that was about to be or had already been launched in the market. Because technological innovation was slow at the time, it was the brand ambassadors who promoted the products of the brands, as consumers could connect with the product and the brand through the brand ambassadors . People looked at the majority of brand ambassadors because celebrities have an aura and mystique about them. That is why, in order to capture the aura and overall perception of celebrities, brand ambassadors came into play. Previously, there were no influencers or social media platforms for brands to promote their brands and products.
In recent years, each brand has tried to collaborate with famous brand ambassadors or influencers. However, due to advances in technology, what worked before may no longer work. Brands need to be extremely careful about who they choose and who they collaborate with. Because it has a greater impact and the audience is considerably more alert and knowledgeable. Famous brand ambassadors and influencers who are embroiled in controversy or engage in questionable public behavior can bring a brand down with them and generally result in negative media coverage. Instead of cooperating with brand ambassadors and influencers just because they’re popular and viral at the time, brands should aim to connect with people because if the product doesn’t match, their advice may seem out of place. and are more likely to be laughed at than wow buyers.
When brands are looking for high-profile ambassadors or influencers, they can overshadow the product by drawing attention to them rather than the product; viewers remember the celebrity or influencers rather than the brand. Although it may seem simple, getting a celebrity’s endorsement usually requires a significant financial outlay. If the brand is still in its infancy, it may not have the resources to invest in celebrity endorsements until it becomes a unicorn. Therefore, brands need to weigh whether the increased customer attention and revenue is worth the expense of the endorsement. Some businesses fancy promoting their business through a brand ambassador or influencer who will increase product sales and make the brand more known to the public, but brands should also look at their current and past endorsements. When celebrities or influencers promote many items, especially those with competing tenets, potential customers may become skeptical, of course until his Shah Rukh Khan.
Brands should not only rely on brand ambassadors and influencers, but also seek to become as well-known as them, so that they do not need to hire a brand ambassador or a influencer to advertise their products and brand. It is best for brands to invest more in R&D and explore ways to differentiate themselves in the market. Brands recognize the importance of brand awareness. Creating a distinct brand, however, involves more than having a memorable logo and catchy tagline. In the absence of brand ambassadors or influencers, brands need to differentiate themselves from their niche competitors. Brands need to interact with their customers and target audiences to appear more authentic to the consumer. They must launch major campaigns and seek to personalize their encounters with clients so that they feel valued by the firm. There are several examples of brands that have never used brand ambassadors or influencers and are still leading brands in their specialty across the globe. Natural Ice Cream or Tupperware (in the Indian market) have never relied on brand ambassadors or influencers to sell or advertise their products; instead, they intentionally built brand recognition and image in people’s minds through word of mouth and understanding the USP of their products. People now understand brands based on their USP and IP rather than the celebrity or influencer promoting the brand.
The author is Founder-CEO, Hotstuff Medialabs
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