After the announcement that young Harvard-educated poet Amanda Gorman was the new ‘changemaker’ ambassador for Esteé Lauder, we wanted to dive into the new rules for a successful ambassadorship in 2021.
This year has been notably volatile with the coronavirus pandemic, global political instability, and many social activist movements, and taking a stance on these issues has never been more important nor controversial.
Crafting partnerships with social and environmental impact, authenticity, new audiences in mind, co-creation, and with opinion leaders, experts or cultural movers are some of the key elements to a successful ambassadorship in 2021.
Selecting a brand ambassador is akin to if you could choose your family, who are an extension of the name. Weatherproofing these partnerships against the current tumultuous cultural climate can be harder than it seems, especially when the wrong word or action can cause people and brands to be swiftly “cancelled”. This is why we have found it imperative to develop an ambassador ‘checklist’, if you will, to develop meaningful relationships with talent that craft visionary ideas and bold, timeless campaigns.
Recently, we have seen an uptick in publicized ambassadorships including Havard educated poet and activist Amanda Gorman joining Esteé Lauder in their “changemaker” partnership, which includes a $3 million investment in a new literacy initiative dubbed ‘Writing Change’. This alliance illustrated the support for diverse faces, younger thought-leaders and a deeper investment in social impact for the next three-year contract. Gorman commented on the alliance saying, “I’m never just lending my body or my face [...] They are getting my spirit, my breath, my brain”. Gorman’s poem at Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony cemented her political ties to the world, and in doing so created a potentially alienating reputation. As brands navigate weighing in on cultural and political revolutions, walking the line of controversy, the pros and cons of attracting mass media attention and aligning brand values are all to be considered (remember when Nike embraced Collin Kapernick?).
The evolution of brand ambassadors began with less political and more obvious “celebrity” partnerships, and many of these still exist today. Current headlines have recently reported the buzzworthy appointment of Kendall Jenner as the creative director of FWRD (a millennial luxury e-tailer), Brad Pitt as the new face of De’ Longhi (giving George Clooney a run for his money) and influencer Chiara Ferragni joining the Hublot watch team.
So, how do we redefine the next-generation of progressive ambassadorship in 2021 and beyond?
As our cultural climate heats up globally, so does the dialogue from every angle as consumers have become increasingly engaged, critical and connected to brands by consuming their values in addition to their products. Treading this precipice naturally has many common pitfalls for brands, more often than not sourced from not vetting and crafting long term relationships with ambassadors, resulting in surface-level partnerships that are forgettable and perhaps even dangerous.
5 principles to consider before choosing your next ambassador
Positive social and/or environmental impact - Being able to capture the opportunity of the existing social and cultural landscape through an ambassadorship that is embedded in improvement and contribution. See Amanda Gorman (above) or Marcus Rashford for Burberry and how he supports the Fareshare charity which provides 200,000 meals to 11,000 charities and also supplying grants to 15 youth centres in London.
Authenticity - Consumers in this day and age can easily spot performative campaigns, so partnerships with strong authenticity and previous experience with the brand are paramount. See the Matthew McConaughey and Lincoln cars advert which was unscripted with loose storylines for McConaughey to riff off. The rest of the series followed the actor as he talked about his lifelong affection for Lincoln - a true track record of admiration for the brand. Lincoln even teamed up with the meditation app Calm (which McConaughey also represents), to offer support during the coronavirus lockdown, showing that the actor embodies the true values of the brand - relaxed luxury, in all its forms.
Targets new audiences or strengthens ties to an existing audience - A great way for approaching expansion strategies is using ambassadors, particularly if cross-cultural. The ambassadors should use their media presence to ‘translate’ your brand to an engaged community. See BLACKPINK’s Lisa for Celine in their latest campaign. The Thai pop star has an international audience and also a huge fanbase in China, one of luxury’s biggest markets, with a long history of wearing and supporting Celine and embodying the brand’s simple elegance.
Co-creation and value add - Sincere collaboration with an ambassador in the development process of a product or service is a unique way to obtain new perspectives and integrate the talent in a unique, hands-on way. See Jennifer Aniston for Vital Proteins as Chief Creative Officer where she is involved with creative consulting on campaigns, product ingredients, packaging and more, bringing her holistic approach to beauty, wellness and nutrition and her unique flair to the brand.
Being an opinion leader, expert or cultural mover - Ambassadors that hold authority in their field are powerful assets to tap into. Aligning a brand with an ambassador’s mission can elevate brand image and introduce cultural relevance. See Naomi Campbell for Queens Commonwealth Trust after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down earlier this year. Naomi Campbell has recently been chosen to step into the royal role to build on her Fashion For Relief foundation work and bring “relevance”. Additionally, Simone Biles for Gap’s Athleta drew attention as she switched from being a Nike ambassador as allegedly they supported women in sport better.
It comes down to one main purpose: having a prominent figure represent your brand and extend its values and mission in a culturally relevant manner - and strengthen the brand image in the process.
Brands also need to show that the investment, both time and financial, are behind the ambassador choice for consumers to believe it. By doing this, ambassadors are welcomed into the family, nurtured and then given a platform to amplify their voice which is filled with on-brand messaging in a new and revitalised way.
It’s time to think bigger, to non-celebrities, scientists, Nobel laureates, activists and beyond.