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Are Brand Ambassadors Useful in Watchmaking?
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WernerBoeinck
·
Delighted that he did NOT mention anti-ambassador Alec Monopoly!
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Hubert
··TAG Heuer Forums ModeratorDelighted that he did NOT mention anti-ambassador Alec Monopoly!
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Hubert
··TAG Heuer Forums ModeratorDespite no news from brand ambassador Cara Delevingne since the Charity auction for Cecil the Lion in 2015, she is finally back. Just in time to promote her new Valerian movie.
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Calibre11
·I think there are only two possible ways of answering this:
- Watch brands collectively don't understand marketing- despite the fact that ambassadors don't drive sales, they all (almost all) persist in using high profile people to promote their watches, just as they have done for 40 years
- Ambassadors resonate with some segments of the watch buying market and make a big difference in those segments
I reckon it's clear that its number two. The key is that there is a specific target market for these ambassadors. Not everyone who buys a Renault cares that Renault has a Formula 1 team...but that's OK, because Renault believe that the most cost effective way to target a certain segment is via F1.
Flip the question around the other way- does the non-watch-lover buyer care that TAG Heuer has brought back the Autavia, a watch that was created before he- maybe even his father- was born? Nope, he just wants an Aquaracer. I imagine this buyer would find it totally weird that a group of people would be interested in going to Switzerland to spend a few days looking at other people's watches at a Collectors Summit!
- Watch brands collectively don't understand marketing- despite the fact that ambassadors don't drive sales, they all (almost all) persist in using high profile people to promote their watches, just as they have done for 40 years
- Ambassadors resonate with some segments of the watch buying market and make a big difference in those segments
I reckon it's clear that its number two. The key is that there is a specific target market for these ambassadors. Not everyone who buys a Renault cares that Renault has a Formula 1 team...but that's OK, because Renault believe that the most cost effective way to target a certain segment is via F1.
Flip the question around the other way- does the non-watch-lover buyer care that TAG Heuer has brought back the Autavia, a watch that was created before he- maybe even his father- was born? Nope, he just wants an Aquaracer. I imagine this buyer would find it totally weird that a group of people would be interested in going to Switzerland to spend a few days looking at other people's watches at a Collectors Summit!
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imagwai
·does the non-watch-lover buyer care that TAG Heuer has brought back the Autavia, a watch that was created before he- maybe even his father- was born? Nope, he just wants an Aquaracer. I imagine this buyer would find it totally weird that a group of people would be interested in going to Switzerland to spend a few days looking at other people's watches at a Collectors Summit!
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Hubert
··TAG Heuer Forums ModeratorI think the right ambassador can do wonders for a brand. Even when that ambassador is a fictional character. Case and point, what Biver achieved by partnering Omega with the James Bond franchise has produced insurmountable value and cache for them over the years. Ironically if the association was true to the original novel, that honor would belong to Rolex (and to Bentley instead of Aston Martin).
I keep hoping that JCB can achieve something similar for TAG Heuer before he retires, beyond the current efforts of more passé associations like the Kingsman franchise.
On the flip side, the "wrong" association can certainly be detrimental and can cause great harm to a brand's image and prestige. That said, what some might consider "wrong", others might admire and value. JCB has talked extensively about how Hublot's base struggled, when the brand started shifting to new ambassadors and football sponsorships. However, the growth and sales number don't lie, in that aspect, that controversial move proved to be highly successful and cemented their place in the industry.
In the end, I think finding the "Goldilocks" association is the key. Unfortunately getting there, always tends to be a bumpy ride.
I keep hoping that JCB can achieve something similar for TAG Heuer before he retires, beyond the current efforts of more passé associations like the Kingsman franchise.
On the flip side, the "wrong" association can certainly be detrimental and can cause great harm to a brand's image and prestige. That said, what some might consider "wrong", others might admire and value. JCB has talked extensively about how Hublot's base struggled, when the brand started shifting to new ambassadors and football sponsorships. However, the growth and sales number don't lie, in that aspect, that controversial move proved to be highly successful and cemented their place in the industry.
In the end, I think finding the "Goldilocks" association is the key. Unfortunately getting there, always tends to be a bumpy ride.
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elbeik
·Brand ambassadors do play a role in enhancing brand image and bringing relevancy to a particular target audience.
If we take the Bond example mentioned by @Hubert , Omega strongly associated itself with an icon.
While not everyone is a 007 fan, today, the link is rock-solid.
Not the case with Tag Heuer.
Their ambassadors are all over the place; models, musicians, athletes, pseudo-artists and what have you.
Even us, the hardcore brand followers are lost and confused.
Longines is a similar case of ambassadors bonanza.
Let's also have a look at IWC, and Bell&Ross.
These two are strongly associated with aviation through their pilot watches.
I believe they did a better job with Mercedes-Petronas and Renault than TH with Redbull.
They did not dilute the sponsorship, and stand strongly behind it. Even the timepieces produced for the occasion are part of their top tiers offering.
If we take the Bond example mentioned by @Hubert , Omega strongly associated itself with an icon.
While not everyone is a 007 fan, today, the link is rock-solid.
Not the case with Tag Heuer.
Their ambassadors are all over the place; models, musicians, athletes, pseudo-artists and what have you.
Even us, the hardcore brand followers are lost and confused.
Longines is a similar case of ambassadors bonanza.
Let's also have a look at IWC, and Bell&Ross.
These two are strongly associated with aviation through their pilot watches.
I believe they did a better job with Mercedes-Petronas and Renault than TH with Redbull.
They did not dilute the sponsorship, and stand strongly behind it. Even the timepieces produced for the occasion are part of their top tiers offering.
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OttoWilliam
·While I do agree with more subtle way need to employ when using Ambassador, as far as i know Omega did not enjoyed the sales turnover that TH enjoyed last year and probably this year as well (This is as far as my knowledge, please do correct me if i am wrong).
Could it be TH machine-gunning all possible ambassadors until one could stand up like Steve Macqueen ?
While we are at it, who do you like to see to be the next TH ambassador ? I am curious.
Could it be TH machine-gunning all possible ambassadors until one could stand up like Steve Macqueen ?
While we are at it, who do you like to see to be the next TH ambassador ? I am curious.
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Pitfitter446
·Brand ambassador have noting to do with watch making, only in attempting to sell watches (pedantic tonight), employ enough "stars" and one/some might work, decent advertising in the usual media would have more effect surely than shotgunning billboards till we all see someone we like, by which point I've been to the jewellers window and picked from the display, after all if brand ambassadors work why don't they use drunks to sell alcohol?
Sorry, shitty day at work.
Sorry, shitty day at work.
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OttoWilliam
·Brand ambassador have noting to do with watch making, only in attempting to sell watches (pedantic tonight), employ enough "stars" and one/some might work, decent advertising in the usual media would have more effect surely than shotgunning billboards till we all see someone we like, by which point I've been to the jewellers window and picked from the display, after all if brand ambassadors work why don't they use drunks to sell alcohol?
Sorry, shitty day at work.
Thank you.
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Pitfitter446
·Jings, that's the first time this year I've been remotely useful.
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Texasjohn
·Not for me unless I'm the one getting free watches!
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Hubert
··TAG Heuer Forums ModeratorBrace yourselves....
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Texasjohn
·Sadly not an average customer like myself.... back to work saving my penny's
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OttoWilliam
·We want real sportsman. F1 driver of the highest order. Who only wear Heuer. Not like tom brady, who btw wear rolex every now and then.
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Pitfitter446
·Don't care really. They'd sell more if the prices were lowered using the money they save?, in fact brand ambassadors are more likely to turn me away from something.
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Hubert
··TAG Heuer Forums Moderator
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Hubert
··TAG Heuer Forums Moderator
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dtf
·Who?
