Whenever we hear or talk about ‘Boost’, we think of Sachin Tendulkar who says “Boost is the secret of my energy.” Similarly, whenever we think of Coca-Cola, the image of Aamir Khan saying “Thanda matlab Coca-Cola” suddenly comes before our eyes. And there are hundreds of instances like these.
But why this happens after all? Simply because we associate these products with these people, who are in fact the brand ambassadors of these products. True, the success of a brand depends on so many things, including its Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Marketing. Still quite often famous personalities are chosen to endorse a product or brand because the success of that product to some extent depends on them too. Brand ambassadors not only act as catalysts to communicate brand attributes but also enthrall the customers bringing them alive through their personality and charm.
Although celebrities don’t help sell products in all cases, but in most cases they do. Various studies have also proved that brand recalls are larger in case they have been endorsed by celebrities. Celebrity endorsements help companies in building brand differentiation and quick awareness and connect with the consumer, something that usually takes more time and money if done otherwise. The celebrities add a touch of glamour and hope for the products and the customer gets excited when he sees his dream star endorsing the products. This explains why many companies go for celebrity endorsements. However, enough care should be exercised while choosing brand ambassador, otherwise the desired result won’t be achieved and the product will fail to connect with the consumer.
Take the case of Yamaha, which is known the world over for its super bikes. John Abraham endorses Yamaha as its brand ambassador in India because John is a passionate biker himself and in him the company found a connection that truly complements Yamaha’s brand image. The target audience also identifies with him because he signifies the sense of style, speed and ruggedness, and is known for his love for super bikes. As Yamaha endeavors to take the biking culture in India to the next level and is also keen to inculcate the rider’s spirit with a sense of freedom and promote safe biking culture in the country, who would have been a better promoter than John himself? The same is the case with Valentino Rossi, Yamaha’s global brand ambassador and MotoGP World Champion. Needless to say the target audience never has any problem in identifying these celebrities with Yamaha’s brand image. However, the result may have been quite different had Yamaha decided to go for someone else who is not a passionate biker himself. This explains why choosing a personality, who goes well with the brand image and also helps connect with the target audience, is so much important.