The frailty of endorsements

Vijender Singh seems to be in the news for the wrong reasons today. How does it affect his brand endorsement deals? How do brands react?

_ Gautam Singh, New Delhi

Gautam, typically, sponsors are jolted by instances of brand endorser transgressions such as these. The first reaction is one of crisis management. A sponsor typically gives his brand the benefit of the doubt and pulls the plug on the endorser. And rightfully so. A brand endorser has to truly represent the ethos of the brand. He or she represents the brand and all that it stands for millions of consumers. When an idol falls, it is time to replace it with another one. Maybe a sturdier one.

Recent instances, as seen in the case of Lance Armstrong, and now Pistorius, however, indicate that there are no strong and totally durable endorsers as long as they are human beings. I, therefore, do believe the most durable brand endorser is not a human being but a mascot such as a Fido Dido or even Gattu the Tiger. These drawings can do no wrong. Ever. They can't go kill a chinkara (as Salman allegedly did), they can't get involved in match-fixing scandals. Mascots created and owned by brands can’t do much wrong.

When a sponsor buys a brand endorser he buys the upsides and the downsides alike. He buys glory and the risk that comes along with the persona as well. When the risks show up, it is time to dump them and move on.

I do believe whatever action needs to be taken needs to be immediate. As the course of law takes its own time to unravel mysteries and set the perspective right, brands cannot afford to put their might behind causes and cases which are still being decided. It is not their core competence. As the competent authorities decipher and de-code, brands need to be quick in their decisions. You don't want a sub-judice brand endorser on your rolls.

The fact is clear. There is no emotion in this business. No soul-searching as well. Souls need to be around to search. A brand endorser is only as good as what he or she delivers. The moment that delivery and return-on-investment statistic is negative consistently, it is time to take a cold and hard decision. Endorsers know this well. Any negative stroke on the brand endorser is a negative stroke on the brand endorsed.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is on the morph. As CDM evolves, how do you see the brand renovation process evolve?

_ Revathi Rudro, Kolkata

Revathi, the brand renovation process for CDM needs to keep many issues in mind.

How does one manage the base equity of CDM, the mother brand?

How does one manage not to re-position CDM downward with the entry of Silk? And how not to kill CDM altogether in the process?

How to renovate CDM itself, within the framework of the product on offer?

How not to vacate a very large and precious space occupied currently by CDM?

How not to cause mass cannibalisation at the top end of CDM consumption?

How not to alienate lovers of the base product, who have a palate memory that is as old as their childhood?

CDM has been very single-minded in the way it has positioned itself over the decades. No complaints on that. Not until now, when I see the first signs of brand dissonance.

Social media has been around in our lives for some years now. Do you see social media strategy changing? If so, how?

_ Chandrahas Bhat, Mumbai

Chandrahas, social media and all the action you see around it is the true-blue barometer of all change in a new and emerging society. Web activity today and everything we see on social media is the crucible of a new society which is morphing.

In terms of change, social media is forcing brands to adopt the contemporary. Social media is waking up slumbering brand giants from their otherwise somnolent attitudes. It is a great window for brands to peep into consumer lives and attitudes and learn from.

Digital brand strategies today fail as there is not enough emphasis on consumer research that is focused on the digital space. Most brands tend to use old and outdated consumer knowledge from the physical world and superimpose it on the digital consumer. This just never works. These are two different spaces and the consumer in these two spaces is a very different animal in each.

It is important for the digital branding evangelist to believe in deep research. This is a patience-process. And most digital branding folk do not display, and seldom have, this patience. That is fault number one of maybe six other faults in this space.

Harish Bijoor is a business strategy specialist and CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. >askharishbijoor@gmail.com

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