Till he rammed his car that fateful night, Tiger Woods was one of the most expensive and sought-after brand ambassadors. But as his sexploits became media fodder, brands started avoiding him as regularly as his putts would avoid the birdie. While we know a lot of instances of the brand suffering because of its ambassador’s misdemeanours, it is also interesting to study the repercussions when the tables are turned. Should the brand ambassador be held responsible in case the brand creates any mischief?
In early 2000, Home Trade launched an advertising blitzkrieg using some of the biggest personalities – Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan. No one quite knew what Home Trade did, including the personalities endorsing them, I guess. Home Trade went bust soon after, and the trio seemed to develop selective amnesia. When the cola pesticide controversy broke out, Aamir Khan stood by brand Coca-Cola and went all out to defend it, even giving testimonials in his personal capacity. Aamir, being Aamir, pulled it off well, although it is a known fact that the beverage manufactured back then, did contain traces of pesticide.
But do you think brand ambassadors should find blood on their hands, if the hand that feeds them is covered in muck? Tricky!
When celebrities sign up for a contract, their immediate concerns are the moolah and whether the brand would gel with their personality. An adverse eventuality is the farthest thought in their mind. They would never be privy to the internal machinations of the company, stability and long term prospects. Hence it would not be entirely just to blame them.
Having said that, celebrities should realise that consumers would trust or prefer a brand over its competitors if they are endorsing it. Hence, they need to exercise maximum caution before signing on the dotted line. While initiating penal action against them would be harsh, brand ambassadors need to accept the moral responsibility and express regret about erroneously misleading consumers. After all, celebrities, too, are brands in their own right. And no one would like to be seen in the wrong company. Accenture would certainly agree!
Very True.
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