“Build a lifestyle around your brand, and the audience will follow.” – Eva Chen
Roger Federer was in the edge of his career as professional tennis player when accepting contracts as Uniqlo’s brand ambassador. The lucrative £30 millions per year for ten years ended his 20 years contract with Nike. Since he is 37 years old when starting contract with Uniqlo, this contract would be still on going when he finished his career. He will turn 47 when the contract ended and usually professional tennis player career ended just before 40 years old.
The astonishing Roger Federer’s contracts with Uniqlo is not the first time in sport and marketing in general. Let’s say, Michael Jordan in basketball and Christiano Ronaldo in football respectively. Nowadays, many companies set a lot of amounts in their budget to hire brand ambassador. One reason for the phenomenon is that they believe brand ambassador is essential for their business, especially to increasing the brand’s value and later lift their selling. Thus, they don’t hesitate to spent a lot of money as long as the benefit is worth it.
Long before Roger Federer and the other brand ambassadors hired, each of these individuals must have personal branding. What kind of personal branding that made them hired as brand ambassador?
Related: How To Build Personal Branding for Teenagers
Famous
A brand ambassador must have impacts to the market. The more impact he/she has on the market, the more famous they become. Famous ambassador then will attract more followers, and these followers will likely do the same thing as their ambassadors do. When he/she wears the products, they will represent the brand to the people in hoping people would follow the ambassador’s footstep. Also, famous ambassadors have their on personal brand so that it will make easier for people to recognize them and associated them to the product.
Achievement
Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Christiano Ronaldo, and other ambassadors mostly champion or at least having achievements in their work. More people will see the product they wear or use in every game the play. By doing so, these ambassadors will give a sense of achievement in the product. This sense of achievement then will be transferred to minds of people that their achievement are affected by the products they wore. In the end, it would increase the brand awareness and also selling itself.
In Line With The Products
If your brand is either a liquor, tobacco, or any other that has strong association, using rock star as brand ambassador would be more appropriate. You do not want to use someone with living a healthy live as the brand ambassador, because it would not in line with the products. Company usually put “the scout promise” clause in the contract with their ambassador. If the ambassador doing something that ruin their reputation, the company could cut the contract immediately because it could affect the image of the product.
Therefore, choosing brand ambassador is not simple matter. Do research about who are you going to use as brand ambassador for your brand and products. Check the compability as well between your brand represents and personal branding that brand ambassador has. The outcome will be beneficial for the brand, the customer, and also the brand ambassadors themselves.
Related: Is Maintaining Brand Awareness Important?
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