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Published July 27th 2018
In July, tennis star Roger Federer made the surprise switch from Nike to UNIQLO. A longtime Nike ambassador, Federer’s move surprised his fans, and threw the sports sponsorship world for a loop.
As one of the world’s most dominant and famous athletes, it’s no wonder the Federer’s move dominated the discussion about brand ambassadors. But his move is just the most recent in a rapidly changing landscape of celebrity endorsers. What is driving this trend?
We looked at the social conversation about celebrity brand ambassadors to try to understand the impact of a celebrity on a brand, and how the conversation has changed over the years.
As we can see in the chart below, discussions around celebrity brand ambassadors has been growing year-on-year for quite awhile.
Indeed, the social conversation has grown by more than 10 times since 2010. Clearly, these types of partnerships are resonating with consumers, generating more buzz year after year.
Seven months into 2018, the celebrity brand ambassadors conversation has already surpassed last year’s total.
Who are the top celebrities and brands driving the conversation to such high levels?
Federer made waves when he ditched the swoosh for Uniqlo, but he’s not the most popular brand ambassador on social media.
The top celebrity brand ambassadors from 2010 to 2018 are a mix of reality television stars, singers, models, athletes, and actresses. The ones with greater social followings, especially on Instagram, lead the social conversation.
Kylie Jenner, Beyonce, and Kendall Jenner lead the pack. Instagram has become a haven for brand promotion: celebrities like Kylie Jenner frequently post brand-sponsored posts that receive tons of follower engagement.
While it is great for a brand’s celebrity partnership to be discussed on social, does it translate to purchases? The topic wheel indicates that effective campaigns, like Gigi Hadid’s partnership with Tommy Hilfiger, can actually lead to sales.
However, the volume a celebrity brand ambassador receives is not the only thing that matters. Audience reach may be one thing, but sentiment is another. A widely panned celebrity brand ambassador can do more damage to the brand than good.
Kylie Jenner, who enjoyed the highest share of voice among the top celebrity brand ambassadors, also suffers from the highest negative sentiment. When Puma appointed her as model for their apparel campaigns, the backlash was swift. A non-athlete and reality TV star with plastic surgery should not front a sportswear brand, consumers argued.
Jennifer Lawrence, who was once “America’s Sweetheart,” may have been considered a good fit for Dior. However, she faced criticism for not fitting in with the high fashion French brand. Some even lambasted her as boring.
Negativity surrounding the Lawrence-Dior partnership can also be attributed to the level of Photoshop used in the photos. Consumers increasingly prefer unretouched advertisements.
Model Jourdan Dunn has the highest positive sentiment at 97 percent. Her Burberry campaign with supermodel Naomi Campbell was well-received by consumers for featuring two black women.
But what about the man who started this whole conversation?
By hiring Roger Federer, the Japanese streetwear brand was hoping to enhance its global image. This unprecedented move caused Nike’s stock to drop but the switch was met with mostly positive reception, as fans celebrated the union of one of their favorite brands and athletes.
One sign that a celebrity has made it big is if a brand appoints them as a brand ambassador. This means the celebrity has amassed enough recognition and respect from their field, is appealing to the appropriate audience, and has a large enough following to promote the brand to.
Brands may feature their faces in ads that will be printed on the pages of glossy fashion magazines like Vogue. Celebrities may have an entire billboard to showcase the brands’ products in bustling urban areas like Times Square in New York. Brands may ask celebrities to appear in short videos made for social sharing.
These are all done in an attempt to attract new consumers and turn them into fans, are play into celebrities’ and brands’ existing fanbases.
For brands, looking at the consumer conversation can help them determine whether or not a celebrity partnership is worth it, and what type of celebrity best fits their purposes.
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