Brand endorsement at Richard Mille
- Dylan John
- Nov 25, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 29, 2021
Brand endorsement is a channel of communication that uses celebrities to act as spokespeople for a specific brand to certify the claims made by the brand, the individual uses his or her social position, qualifications, expertise, and personality to support and endorse the brand.
Without getting too complicated, if when thinking about what drives consumer decision making when it comes to buying, it is expected that consumers we are more willing to purchase a product from a brand in which they trust. This element of trust is essential especially in an ever-increasingly competitive world where many markets are becoming saturated, it can be a powerful source of differentiation for brands. When applied to the luxury watch market this effect is exacerbated as consumers are making an expensive purchase, therefor they are eager to gather more information and certifications on the products. Having brand trust can help to drive new business, increase marketing receptiveness, and creates loyalty.
Brand endorsements are a great way of creating trust in brands, celebrities may often have a high level of trust, recognition, or respect for many people by proxy of the activity or career they pursued. The big selling point of these endorsements are that celebrities stand out in the clutter of advertising that consumers are subjected to daily, it is much easier for people to connect with the idea of an individual and their personal values as motives for supporting a product or service.
In the case of Richard Mille, brand endorsements are particularly interesting as the company carefully selects its endorsements, calling them “partners & friends”, both from the pinnacle of celebrity and fame to lesser-known names from the top of their respective disciplines. The former being Rafael Nadal and the latter for instance Pablo Mac Donough, a much more discreet polo champion. The endorsements remain centred around the disciplines and sports that attract the largest media attention while remaining associated to the elites, such as motorsports, sailing, tennis and golf.
The Richard Mille brand adopts different strategies when it comes to these endorsements, for instance with Rafael Nadal it is highly publicised, and the tennis star is considerably implicated in the design and prototyping of the watch itself. All this time and effort culminated in the RM 27-04 (see image) watch that market the ten-year partnership with the tennis giant. The watch is one of only 50 limited editions to ever be produced and retailed for $1.05 million, this story was covered by many media outlets and watch making journals at the time.
Cars are where Richard Mille’s real passion lies, and this is particularly apparent when it comes to the endorsements, Romain Grosjean, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, and Sébastien Loeb are part of the company’s “friends”. This association of the company founder’s interests and passions in life with the endorsements and products that Richard Mille produces resonates with the customers, undoubtably this authenticity is a powerful tool in the brands arsenal. While the firm remains one of the lesser-known watchmakers, the overwhelming feedback from its customers and supporters is that they love the product, the customer service, and the brand. Perhaps having a smaller more tight-knit yet extremely supportive community is the perfect fit for a brand that doesn’t take any shortcuts when it comes to designing the highest performance products and designs.
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