Brand Endorsement

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Nepal has recently seen a growing trend of companies appointing brand ambassadors for the promotion of products and to enhance their brand image. Though the use of celebrities and popular personalities for brand endorsement has been around globally, the trend has picked up only recently in Nepal. Keeping in mind the economic and financial state of the nation, using brand ambassadors by business and companies as a means of branding is highly commendable. Companies are attracted to this sort of communication because celebrities have huge fan following and popularity which cuts across all demographics helping companies to build goodwill and boost sales figures. The use of celebrities in advertisements has been there in Nepal but endorsements are a recent phenomenon and are starting to give fruitful results for the investing companies. However, a very prudent decision must be made while choosing the right personality to suit a brand for a perfect match. One such popular brand ambassador in Nepal is Rajesh Hamal for Jagadamba Steels whereas he can also be seen in numerous other advertisements. It is a logical match as Hamal’s macho personality suits the endorsement of a robust product such as steel. Hamal’s public image has been exploited to give maximum mileage to the brand with positive feedback from the customers.

Such big celebrity endorsers get a handsome remuneration package for the endorsements as well. One such high profile endorsement is that of Manisha Koirala for Home TV. Since the company has merged with Dish TV, Manisha and MaHa Jodi combinely promote Dish Home TV. MaHa Jodi’s comic approach along with Manisha’s aura has suited well with an entertainment related product. The MaHa duo is also the face of NLIC life insurance and Ambe Steels.

Their ever popular image has certainly helped awareness regarding the aforementioned companies but it seems a mismatch between the type of product and the personalities that the comedy celebrity duo presents forth. Apparently, life insurance and steel related product need serious approaches and use of comedy actors does not seem to do justice to the personality of the brand. Another comic actor Deepak Raj Giri is the face of Sikhar Shoes while Rekha Thapa is the brand ambassador for United Telecom Ltd (UTL). The actors seem to have done wonders for the respective companies as their popularity and likability has leveraged their endorsements. Similarly, youth icon Nima Rumba is the face of several brands in Nepal.

Hence, the significance of using brand ambassadors has been felt recently in marketing products and services. Talking about celebrity brand ambassadors for multinational companies like Nike, Adidas, Coke, Pepsi etc, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding them as well. Michael Jordan’s endorsement of Nike is one of the most successful till date. He has also endorsed other successful brands such as Coke, Chevrolet, McDonald’s etc. In India, Coke has used Amir Khan and Aishwarya Rai in its endorsements whereas Pepsi being a young brand has stars like Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif to communicate the brand’s personality.

Shahrukh Khan is one of the celebrities with the most number of endorsements with numerous big brands under his belt. Not to forget, Amitabh Bachchan and the Bachchan family who combinedly endorse more than two dozen popular brands. As celebrities too are human beings who make mistakes, the negative effect of their personalities may have adverse affect on the brands they endorse.

This is why companies are highly sensitive while choosing their endorsers. An alternative to celebrity endorsement is a character or mascot that represents a brand. Brand characters help grab attention as they are often colourful and promote eye candy factor. It also breaks the clutter in the marketplace and communicates key product benefits. Some popular examples are Pillsbury’s Poppin’ Fresh Doughboy and Eveready’s drumming pink bunny for their Energizer battery.

Brand endorsement is not a cheap option, it's an expensive affair yet companies all over the world are attracted towards this form of marketing as it helps build their brands in the long run. With the rate at which Nepal is progressing in the advertising field, some interesting and innovative marketing approaches can be expected in the days ahead.

(Karki is associated with JWT (Thompson Nepal Pvt Ltd). The article is based on research and author’s practical experience as a marketing and advertising professional. He can be reached at [email protected])

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