The missing link between brands and brand ambassadors

Illustration: TBS

Once, while crossing a busy road in the heart of Dhaka, my attention was drawn to a premium outdoor billboard towering above the traffic, where Arefin Shuvo was representing a corrugated sheets brand. 

As a persuasion-knowledgeable consumer, this did not make any sense to me. Fortunately, I knew the agency working with this brand. Out of curiosity, I called them and asked how Arefin Shuvo came to represent their corrugated sheets brand.

The answer I received was simple: they had negotiated a great deal with the celebrity. Nothing more. There were other names on their list, but those did not match their budget. 

This information left me surprised. It implied that, for many Bangladeshi brands, the essence of celebrity endorsement practices remains vague. Rather than implementing strategic partnerships, our market still reflects "aspiring" brand practices that lack depth.

When Evaly entered the market with massive hype, they signed Tahsan and Mithila as their brand ambassadors without any defined parameters, choosing them solely for the duo's past reputation. Their intention was to create hype rather than build an association with the brand image. Such decisions had a negative impact on the brand and disrupted harmony in the market as well.

At the same time, we saw Mashrafe bin Mortaza sign up as an ambassador for an e-commerce platform called E-orange. After a few months, E-orange was sued for embezzlement. As a result, Mashrafe faced significant backlash. 

Celebrities should also exercise due diligence and evaluate their own reputational risk before entering endorsement deals, as the brand's business practices ultimately reflect back on the ambassador. 

A brand ambassador is more than just a spokesperson. They are not merely a face; they are the living embodiment of a brand. Associating a celebrity face with a brand was never an accidental or random approach; rather, it is a strategic tool. 

However, in Bangladesh, this tool is still largely in the visibility-buying stage. Celebrities sign up for money, and companies hire them simply because of their face value. Globally, it functions as a method of reinforcing the value and reputation a brand holds in the minds of consumers.

The approach should be a "strategic partnership" between the celebrity and the company, rather than merely a transactional relationship. If both parties invest seamlessly in the brand's identity and credibility, it can create a deeper and more authentic connection with consumers in the long run.

In the 1990s, turning on the television almost certainly meant watching American supermodel Cindy Crawford sensually sipping from a Pepsi can. At that time, as Pepsi's brand ambassador, she helped elevate the brand to an entirely new level.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola was working with American pop star Whitney Houston, who was one of the most popular singers and actresses in the United States at that time. She, too, skillfully expressed Coca-Cola's brand image through her star persona.

Brands and marketing agencies should select celebrities in a way that protects long-term brand equity. Companies should not focus only on popularity metrics; instead, celebrity partnerships should be evaluated through brand safety and reputational risk frameworks. It is a long-term reputational commitment.

In Bangladesh, there is a lack of strong contractual brand-fit clauses from both parties, and exclusivity is rarely enforced. The same celebrity often endorses several competing brands simultaneously. There is little category relevance and a persistent short-term campaign mentality. These are the key challenges local brands face when selecting brand ambassadors.

To solve this crisis, brands must stop thinking of endorsement merely as a face and instead view it as an extension of identity and reputation. Brand-fit research and long-term alignment must be prioritised. From the celebrity's perspective, they should work with more professional agencies that can conduct proper market research, evaluate reputational risks, and ensure appropriate contractual protections.

Globally, celebrity endorsement is a very conscious and strategic practice. Companies conduct market research to evaluate risks from both sides. They maintain morality and behavior clauses, along with clear category exclusivity. Through their ambassadors, brands tell a consistent story while following a structured governance framework focused on brand safety.

The marketing ecosystem in our country is mature enough to adopt brand ambassadorship effectively. The approach should be a "strategic partnership" between the celebrity and the company, rather than merely a transactional relationship. If both parties invest seamlessly in the brand's identity and credibility, it can create a deeper and more authentic connection with consumers in the long run.