Luxury brands need to carefully consider promotional techniques that are in line with their brand image and products, given the constant evolution of the fashion industry. To strengthen their brands, competitors seem to update each other regularly. It is crucial to use visual means to attract customers and increase brand awareness among those who are not among the brand’s staunchest supporters, especially in the era of global technology and shortly after COVID-19. Celebrity partnerships and global ambassadors can often be used in this context.
According to Andersson and Ekman (2009, 43), brand ambassadors use verbal suggestion marketing to establish the legitimacy of the attributes that distinguish something from others, increase its appeal and can influence other networks and relationships. The use of brand ambassadors is a more cost-effective and efficient promotional strategy than continuous advertising and other marketing techniques. This means that a global ambassador is not tied to a specific location but can perform such tasks worldwide.
![[Alt text: a huge diamond sparkles on black background.]](https://blogit.lab.fi/labfocus/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/468_2024_Luxury-brands-need-global-ambassadors-1024x549.jpg)
Dior & Jisoo
Phan (2024, 2–3) studied the luxury brand Dior and its global ambassador Jisoo in her thesis. The objective of the study was to find out the benefits of using a proper marketing plan when recruiting global ambassadors for luxury brands. The data was collected through a survey, that was administered to adults aged 22 years old or over. In total, 50 responses were received.
The results of the study show that choosing the right global ambassador can raise public awareness and drive demand for luxury products. According to the results, the majority of survey respondents had a positive attitude towards the collaboration between Dior and Jisoo, while many others stated that they felt the reputation of the global ambassador had a great impact on luxury fashion brands. (Phan 2024, 39.) The results were consistent with the global ambassador theory presented by Maharani and Widodo (2023, Chapter 2), which suggests that hiring the right brand ambassadors can help a company implement marketing strategies and increase customer perceptions, trust, and brand recognition.
Luxury brands employing global ambassadors are increasingly popular in the fashion industry. Anyone who follows fashion and luxury brands can see this. How many global ambassadors can you name?
Authors
Bao An Duong Phan is a graduating student at LAB University of Applied Sciences, Bachelor’s Degree Programme in International Business.
Sari Suominen works as Senior Lecturer at LAB University of Applied Sciences in Lahti.
References
Andersson, M. & Ekman, P. 2009. Ambassador networks and place branding. Journal of Place Management and Development. Vol. 2(1). 41–51. Cited 14 May 2024. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17538330910942799
Buffik. 2020. Business, technology, city, line. Pixabay. Cited 14 May 2024. Available at https://pixabay.com/vi/photos/kinh-doanh-c%C3%B4ng-ngh%E1%BB%87-th%C3%A0nh-ph%E1%BB%91-d%C3%B2ng-5475661/
gr8effect. 2016. Christou, D. Timantti, jalokivi, korut. Pixabay. Cited 14 May. Available at https://pixabay.com/fi/illustrations/timantti-jalokivi-korut-helmi-kivi-1199183/
Maharani, T. S. & Widodo, A. 2023. The impact of brand ambassador on investment interest: The mediating effects of brand awareness and brand trust. Conference Proceeding ICoISSEE-3. Bandung, Indonesia. July 8, 2023. International Conference on Innovations in Social Sciences Education and Engineering. Vol. 3. 072–072. Cited 14 May 2024. Available at http://conference.loupiasconference.org/index.php/icoissee3/article/view/413
Phan, B. A. D. 2024. Benefits of Selecting Suitable Global Ambassadors for Luxury Brands. Thesis. LAB University of Applied Sciences, Bachelor’s Degree Programme in International Business. Lahti. Cited 14 May 2024. Available at https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2024051311347
