Brand ambassadors are the heroes of the nation. Pakistan has come to a point where there aren enough models to cater to advertising needs. In the interest of the economy, it is vitally important for new heroes to be cultivated. Pepsis Aisam-ul-Haq sponsorship is a refreshing example.
The degree to which consumers are inspired by celebrity endorsements of products is a much debated topic in marketing academia. Popular marketing theory suggests that personal traits are perceived to be transmitted to the product. This transfer, in turn, makes the product more attractive to the consumer.
Cricket stars are some of the most recognizable individuals in Pakistani society. These heroes are often awarded with lucrative brand ambassadorships. Performance in their respective sport is not necessarily the benchmark for effectiveness of the campaign.
Advertising gurus believe that the best brand ambassadors are the ones that are loved by all and despised by none. Consumers must be able to relate with the celebrity. Internationally, Michael Jordan is one of the most recognized faces. He earns about $70 million in endorsements every year from Nike; which the company believes is a negligible cost.
The brand image must match with the personality of the celebrity. Shahid Afrdi is a youthful and energetic individual. Perhaps, that is the reason Samsung electronics chose him to represent their electronics. Samsung is known in the consumer electronics industry as a young and energetic player.
In addition to fitting the image of the brand, the reason Shahid Afridi bags sponsorships time and again is that he is generally well liked. Even the ball biting incident was a show of his brash and aggressive personality that many in the country subscribe to.
Recently, Pakistan has had to import human capital, in the form of models for advertisements. Kareena Kapoor, modelled for the advertisements of Firdous collection. Similarly, Gul Ahmed chose a Brazilian model to act as its brand image. Wonder if any advertisers are thinking of Naseem Hameed for their next marketing campaigns?
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