What do brand ambassadorships mean for South African celebs?
WITH the celebrity culture in South Africa reaching new heights, local and international brands have approached Mzansi’s finest to try reach a broader audience.
These include Minnie Dlamini for GH Mumm, Nomzamo Mbatha for Puma, AKA for Cruz Vodka, Cassper Nyovest for Ciroc, Bonang Matheba for Courvoisier and Maps Maponyane for Samsung.
While it might seem like just another big pay day for many of these familiar faces, it’s not that simple. Most deals entail the stars having an exclusivity clause which prevents them from being seen publicly with a competitor brand.
With social media playing an integral part in any company or personal brand exposure, there is usually a stipulation regarding posting on their social media platforms.
They also have certain appearances or hosting gigs they are contracted to do.
We got an opportunity to find out from Minnie Dlamini, who was named one of the brand ambassadors for GH Mumm alongside Usain Bolt earlier this year, what goes with the role.
In Dlamini’s case, her GH Mumm ambassadorship requires her to be at the forefront of all GH Mumm related events. This includes driving social media content for the brand. As well as acting as the host for other celebrities and VIPs at all GH Mumm events in the country, her local ambassador status means she’ll be the face of any brand campaigns.
But it’s not a one-way street. Obviously, Dlamini gets paid an unspecified amount, but the association with a French champagne is a great opportunity for her since it is a global luxury brand. Dlamini also gets the opportunity to travel and expand her networking base.
Sharing what motivated her to join the GH Mumm family, Dlamini said: “It’s incredible, Mumm is a bold brand and I like to think of myself that way too: daring and bold… I’m also looking forward to representing the world’s most daring champagne with the world’s most daring athlete Usain Bolt. I’m in great company.”