On first watch, Cristiano Ronaldo moving a couple of Coca-Cola bottles from a press
conference table seemed like no big deal. But within hours, the sugar-water’s market
share had dropped by billions of dollars and it suddenly was, quite clearly, a big
deal.
“Agua, no Coca-Cola,” the Portugal player preached, lifting his own water bottle
in the air. But this was not just a plea for fans to consider healthier dietary habits.
It was a not-so-subtle acknowledgement of Ronaldo’s marketing power, and it left UEFA
scrambling to prevent players from harnessing this untapped power and affecting the
tournament’s ability to secure sponsors (who pay a whoppingR$30m per
endorsement).
Ronaldo, obviously, can do what he wants and he knows it. He doesn’t care
about Coca-Cola and he definitely doesn’t care about the product placement of an item
that isn’t going to make him money. This influenced other footballers, like Paul Pogba
who removed a Heineken bottle from his own media appearances later the same week. And
if you’re thinking “I don’t care about football or Coca-Cola’s stock prices,” we hear
you… But if you care about your own brand’s marketing, you might find this matters.
The
impact of influencer marketing
Highly-paid names, whether they’re the world’s top
footballers or just the most influential influencer in your industry niche, are really
beginning to understand – and wield – their worth. Ronaldo obviously doesn’t drink
Coca-Cola. Pogba is a practicing Muslim who does not support the consumption of
alcohol. They know that brands need them far more than they need the brands (which is
not at all, really) and it’s a lesson in alignment and not taking your sponsorships for
granted.
Not dis-similarly, Naomi Osaka who pulled out of the French Open on the
grounds that mandatory press commitments were damaging to her mental health, has had
her penalty fines paid for by meditation and mindfulness app, Calm. Calm’s quick and
ingenious decision to step in and support Osaka is a prime example of the way brands
can align themselves with relevant and headline-worthy names by doing something
positive. And we think this could be the future of influencer marketing.
At OggaDoon,
we help connect brands with the right faces for their audience. Simply placing a
product near a famous person isn’t enough, and it won’t get you anywhere. The
connection between an influencer – however famous – and a product they can genuinely
vouch for is worth a million Coca-Cola bottles on the UEFA press table.
Want to know
more about our work and how we can connect you with audiences that will love what you
do? Get in touch.
