Is Roger Federer worthwhile as an advertising ambassador?

The better the emotional fit of the brand ambassador with the brand, the more successful the cooperation will be. This success factor is most valuable when the fit during the collaboration is high. A perfect example is George Clooney's appearance for Nespresso. Here, Clooney's elegant charm and approachability fit the brand from the start. Using an ambassador to steer brand emotions in a new direction, on the other hand, is expensive and only makes sense in the very long term. But how do you analyze this emotional fit? A classic survey is powerless here. Because customers cannot put the emotional impact of brands and ambassadors into words. Non-verbal survey methods, on the other hand, allow the emotional impact of the brand and the ambassador to be measured independently and then compared with each other. With the EmoCompass study von Zutt was approached in this way.

Which brand comes closest to Federer emotionally?

When queried non-verbally, the likeable and successful tennis pro comes across as friendly, inspiring and powerful above all. For a worthwhile fit to emerge, the brand must trigger the same emotions. This is the only way to awaken a clear and consistent feeling in the customer's brain - and to strengthen the brand impact through Federer. If there is no fit, the customer gets a diffuse feeling. This has less of an effect in the brain and remains weaker in memory. On this basis, the following ranking results: According to the study, On is the narrow winner. The sports shoe manufacturer comes closest emotionally to the tennis star. On the one hand, the sporting power is clearly present in a sports shoe. In addition, there is a good portion of inspiration, probably not least because of the innovative shoe sole. For the clear match ball, however, On would also have to convey more friendliness and closeness in addition to the innovative power.

The ranking winner is closely followed by Jura. The Swiss coffee machine manufacturer found in Roger almost what George Clooney is for Nespresso - a likeable brand ambassador who fits the brand. Lindt and Rolex also did well, again creating a valuable emotional fit with Federer. A little further away are the brands Barilla, Switzerland Tourism, Credit Suisse and Mercedes. These fit the tennis pro to some extent, but not enough to create an effective fit. The clear taillight is Sunrise. The Telekom brand does not match any of the three Federer emotions and pulls in completely different emotional worlds. This does not create a valuable fit to Roger.

Conclusion and Learnings of the Study

The study shows that when choosing brand ambassadors, it is always necessary to check on an emotional level whether they really fit the brand. Moreover, not every fit is obvious: tennis players and coffee machine manufacturers are not the best combination on a rational level. On the emotional level, however, a strong match can still emerge. If the emotional fit is right, it is worth paying further attention to how the ambassador is integrated into the communication. Ideally, the brand ambassador becomes part of a story that also fits the emotional profile - the differentiation core of the brand. Such an emotionally fitting story can significantly increase the ambassador's impact. After all, the right story weaves the ambassador and the brand deep into the neuron network of the customer's brain. Incidentally, George Clooney's commercial for Nespresso is also an ideal practical example in this respect. The emotional differentiation core of Nespresso is that its sophisticated coffee system makes you a better host. In the commercials, Clooney is seen in exactly this role. Because Clooney is very well known and popular, mirror neurons are activated and consumers want to see themselves in Clooney again. In this way, the ambassador, brand and story work together perfectly to create an emotionally gripping advertising campaign. So for optimum impact, the brand, ambassador and story must be emotionally attuned to each other. To achieve this, star brands like Nespresso, Apple, Nike and others use methods that can measure the emotional impact of brands and touchpoints.

---

This study was conducted by the Neuromarketing company for research, strategy and design Zutt & Partner carried out. The company offers free Workshops on the study (detailed results, interpretations, further information on the study and initial approaches to solutions). Werbewoche.ch publishes the study free of charge out of editorial interest.